After years of helping clients reach their health goals through tailored fitness programs, I’ve swapped the gym floor for dashboards and datasets. Now, as I begin my journey as a Data Analytics Consultant, I’m realising that while the tools are different, the core of the work — understanding people, solving problems, and creating change — feels surprisingly familiar.
What Does a Data Analytics Consultant Do?
In a nutshell, our role is to help clients make smarter, data-driven decisions. We translate business problems into analytical questions and use tools like Tableau, Alteryx, Power BI, and SQL to work with data and uncover meaningful insights. The final step, and often the most important, is communicating those insights clearly so they lead to real action. In short, we turn data into decisions.
As someone new to the field, I’m fascinated by how this role blends people, processes, and technology. The more I learn, the more I realise that great consulting is powered by curiosity as much as by technical know-how.
Where Personal Training Meets Consulting
After nearly two decades as a personal trainer, I never thought of myself as a consultant but that’s exactly what I was. Day to day, I coached clients through workouts, but on a bigger scale I helped them understand their health and fitness needs, and guided them toward meaningful change.
Now, I can see three key soft skills that carry directly into my new role:
1. Building Trust Quickly
In personal training, clients invest in you before they see results. That trust comes from authenticity, preparation, and genuine interest, showing clients that you’re listening and that you care about their goals. The same is true in consulting: trust underpins every effective partnership.
2. Communication and Active Listening
In both worlds, success depends on understanding what someone really means. In PT, “I want to lose weight” often translates to “I want to feel confident and healthy.” In consulting, “I need a dashboard” often means “I need visibility to make better decisions.” It’s about listening beyond the request to understand the ‘why’ behind it.
3. Tailoring Solutions
Every client’s training plan was unique, shaped by their goals, preferences, and obstacles. Consulting is no different where each data solution needs to be designed with the client’s context in mind. Both require empathy, curiosity, and adaptability. Whether it’s a client struggling with motivation or a stakeholder struggling with data, success starts with understanding the ‘why’ behind the request.
Embracing the Technical Challenge
Of course this role also comes with a steep technical learning curve and that’s part of what excites me most. I’m diving into tools like Tableau, Alteryx, Power BI, and SQL, and discovering how my analytical side thrives on problem-solving and logic. Just like a client’s first gym session, mastering new tools takes patience, practice, and persistence,
but the progress feels just as rewarding. Each workflow or dashboard is a small milestone on the journey toward technical fluency.
Looking Ahead
It’s only week 1, but I can already see how data consulting blends creativity, curiosity, and collaboration. Over the next few months, I’m excited to keep connecting the dots between people, data, and impact. In fitness and in life, progress comes from consistency and reflection so expect this journey to be no different. I’m looking forward to tracking my growth in data, one dashboard at a time.