Finding My Calling
By: Jessica Forrest-Baldini
Tags: Career Paths, Career Change, Data Science, Calling, Product Development

Finding My Calling

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator

I remember when I first read the term “Data Scientist.” I had been volunteering at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, helping concept phase startups navigate the business side of product development.

I was there to help them build products customers would want to buy, working in a team of three, along with a business advisor and an engineer or technical advisor. I would help them clarify their vision and idea, and then help them conduct and analyze qualitative (and quantitative) market research.

The Product Roadmap team! We were in the Machine Shop here, so…safety goggles. ;)

I had a unique background that started in biological oceanography research as Scripps Institute of Oceanography, which was my total dream job out of college. During my undergraduate studies at UCSD I had learned to code in R, running statistical analyses and visualizing data in a class I took called Spatial Analysis in Ecology and Conservation.

And while I was an Ecology major, I always had a passion for math and physics. So I took the calculus series for engineers, and had been in the physics series for engineers, which I thoroughly loved, but my homework was taking up so much time (e.g. four pages of calculations to solve one problem)! I soon realized it was taking away time from my actual major. So I dropped down to the easier physics series and got all A’s and even an A+ in one of the classes (humble brag?).

The scientific crew on the New Horizon research vessel! We were passing by the Channel Islands here.

Then at Scripps I was programming in Matlab for four years, analyzing and visualizing data from various sources. I got to go out to sea for research cruises, I loved it. But I kept getting this feeling like I was meant to do more. I had always been interested in business, and while I enjoyed research, I felt I wanted to do something that had more of a short-term tangible feeling of making a difference for the environment.

I left Scripps and started life coaching, helping people to discover and live their calling, while I was doing the same for myself. I helped people start businesses, non-profits and start their own creative endeavors. I worked with writers, coaches, comedians, and more. At the same time I started working with startups in the natural foods industry. At first it was as a gig to make money while I was pursuing my calling, but it grew into more opportunities and extensive knowledge about how the market responds to different products, how to iterate through new and improved products, and how to market and sell products to target audiences. I went from brand ambassador to field sales and field marketing manager.

I worked for fast growing startups such as Smarty Pants Vitamins and Health Warrior, which was acquired by PepsiCo late last year. A huge win to be a part of.

Out at sea on a research cruise. This was off the coast of Monterey Bay in the summertime.

After a few years of coaching, I still felt it wasn’t quite it. I missed science and while I loved my clients, I also wanted to work with entrepreneurs who cared about and wanted to make a difference for the planet, like I did.

Which is how I ended up at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator. I volunteered there as a consultant for a year and a half, gaining experience and learning about product and business development. I got experience helping entrepreneurs connect their product idea to a strong market need.

In the search for my own calling, and in navigating my own vision, I began researching what it was called to help someone take their idea from concept to market. I discovered this was a Product Manager, or Product Management Consultant… Then I discovered that a lot of product managers come from being Data Scientists. What is data science?

Oh my goodness, I thought as I read about it. Literally all the things I love to do… a combination of math, business and programming to solve business problems. Wow. I started reading and researching about it a lot, and went for it! So here I am now, in week five of a ten month online program at Flatiron School.

I plan to work for an energy company after this. Then develop cleantech products. And help others do the same along the way.

It feels good to be here, and finally feel that click. In my calling. My soul feels aligned, grounded, excited, and driven all at the same time.