Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shelly Leal. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Shelly, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

In Brazil, we are always told, ever since we were little, that we should get a job in the government if we want stability for the rest of our lives. I grew up with this idea and with my passion for building and creating, I became a Business Intelligence engineer in the Air Force right when I was 22 years old. In the beginning, I enjoyed feeling safe – but I did not fit in. I was a kind and gentle person, in need of having those values in my routine. In the military, I felt fulfilled when I collaborated for a bigger purpose, but empty and limited when I was obligated to follow rules and be perfect at all times – the example for the subordinates. I did not want that. I could not see myself at all in that place in the future. After 2 years, when I gathered enough confidence and knowledge in my area, I started applying to private companies, eager to find my place. I was rejected multiple times. I felt that I could not belong to any place apart from the Air Force. Then suddenly, at some point, I decided to look at myself, my needs, and my hobbies. One of my favorite activities in my free time was pet sitting, and I always loved animals. I wondered – is there a way I can be an engineer and help a small business that cares for this purpose? Then I found DogHero, a company that supports pet owners and helps them find people to take care of their animals while they travel. I fell in love instantly. I knew I was going to be hired even before I started the selection process because I knew that at that moment I belonged there. It worked – when I got the offer to join Doghero, I was happy and scared. I was going to drop everything I knew for more than twenty years to start my journey, in a small startup, and challenge myself to work with tools I hadn’t heard before. I chose to leave the Air Force, and if I could go back, I would have done it again. I was lucky that people around me and my ex-colleagues supported my decision, as I was glowing with passion for this purpose. I had so many challenges after that, but every single one was worth it, to help me mature and follow what I love. For me, a career is part of your purpose and that is no point in doing or being stuck in a place that does not match your personality and does not fill your soul. Leaving to find yourself can be scary, but it is always worth it in the end.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a senior data analyst, with 5 years of experience in my field. I always search for projects where I can help using historical data to support small businesses. My stack tool is Google Cloud, Python, SQL, Looker, QlikSense, Github, Hive, and Airflow.

Today I am living an international experience in Germany, working at a travel company called Trivago, as a key member of the Advertiser Intelligence team, supporting independent hotels, marketing, and sales teams.

I help clients discover attract more customers, gain an advantage against their competitors, and be recognized in their top regions. I love the entire path of data, from the sources where I collect and transform everything (like shaping a vase), to the front end, where I create a beautiful dashboard or a visual representation that is accessible to any person and attends to their needs. I feel that my goal is achieved when I create a solution that helps both the business owners and the users, and find the perfect match.

I am proud of the moments when I shared my work and presented my learnings to other people transitioning to tech. My goal is to help more women find their way to become engineers or scientists, without the fear of not fitting in. I believe that everyone has a true purpose and passion, and I can help them find it, through my experience in data.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

To be able to create your tools and propose your solutions… gives me a feeling of freedom and empowerment. It is all about the moment when you see that the clients trust in you and are satisfied with how your creativity impacts their business. One of my strongest values is collaboration, besides creativity. I enjoy seeing people proud and to feel that I supported them. This is why my work with data revolves around providing recommendations and giving answers to complex questions that small owners might have when they look back at their results and are ready to expand to new regions or reach out to a larger audience. Sometimes a small change in their bid values, a focus on a specific platform, or a good user segmentation that I can provide to them is enough for them to achieve incredible recognition in a matter of a few weeks.

At last, I feel motivated every day and I am never bored. Some days are very challenging, however, it always makes me feel that I am growing as a person and as a professional.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

As I worked in the military, I learned that I always needed to be perfect and 100% independent. I was not allowed to make any mistakes in front of other people – especially subordinates. As a woman, I felt pressured by society to hide my feelings and present myself in a way that is more acceptable for the beauty, business, and tech industries. It took me years to realize how this impacted highly on my authenticity and limited my creativity. I was losing confidence and getting smaller.

As I got to meet strong women in tech and as I started studying material about vulnerability – such as ‘The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are’ from Brene Brown – I became aware of my actions and started small, for example, by simply saying ‘I don’t know’ or asking for help whenever I was in need for it. With time it became easier to show my true self in social media and to my clients. This helped me with my biggest goal, which was to empower other women to be themselves and follow their dreams, no matter their stage in life, as young teenagers or mothers.

I only found happiness in my career when I decided to follow my purpose every day while being my authentic self and vulnerable in front of others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://medium.com/@shellyleal
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/engenheira.imigrante/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelly-leal/