Get to know Smarty’s favorite Data Analyst, Dallin Davis! On our Business Intelligence team, Dallin’s love of programming—we’re talking R, SAS, SQL, Python, AND Linux—understanding of statistics, and ability to solve any problem thrown his way make him an absolute all-star.
Let’s meet Dallin!
You have to explain your role at Smarty to a 10-year-old. Go.
“Smarty is like a sports team. Before a team competes against another team, they need to know how they measure up. To do this, they determine who’s winning, who’s losing, and how much they’re winning or losing by.”
“My job is to make sure the numbers that show how well Smarty is performing can be presented and understood by anyone in the company. That way, anyone can know how Smarty stacks up to other address data providers.”
Where did you work before Smarty?
“I was an SQL developer at a company called Check City. I worked with analytics there, just like I do at Smarty now.”
And we’re thrilled he does! Dallin’s exceptional ability to analyze complicated business data helps us stay informed and organized, which empowers us to make better decisions across every department.
What advice would you give someone just starting as a data analyst?
“The most important thing is getting your foot in the door. Try to find a job that's even somewhat related to data analysis. At Check City, I wasn’t a data analyst; I was a SQL developer, but it got me a lot of exposure to analysis and analytics. That exposure helped me transition into my role at Smarty.”
What do you love doing outside of work?
“I like reading, watching movies and TV shows, and playing video games. I’ve always loved the Lord of the Rings books and movies, and recently I’ve enjoyed watching Andor.
“I also like being out in nature on walks or hikes, especially when it's a nice, clear day, and it's warm outside.”
Located at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, Smarty is spoiled with a whole bunch of outdoor adventures in our own backyard. We knew Dallin would have some stellar suggestions for our next expedition.
What are some of your favorite places to hike?
“Hiking up Rock Canyon is always nice. You get a bit of an elevation, and there’s a lot of cool scenery at the opening of the canyon.”
“I also like hiking Y Mountain, at least, once you get past the Y and head south. Hiking to the Y is just a workout, but after that, the views are really pretty.”
Is there a part of your job you “nerd out” about?
“There are certain statistical techniques that are actually pretty cool. I don’t always get a chance to delve into them, but when I do, it’s fun to discuss them.”
What are some common challenges you face at work?
“Data is just messy, and messy data can be challenging to understand, but that's just part of the job. That's why you hire people to clean it up.”
If anyone understands messy data, it’s Smarty! Standardizing and validating bad address data is our bread and butter. Give us any database—even the one with your worst addresses—and we’ll make it squeaky clean in record time.
When you were in elementary school, what did you want to be when you grew up?
“Growing up, I watched a lot of M*A*S*H, so I was like, you know what? I want to become a surgeon, just like them.”
Do you have any completely irrelevant skills or talents?
“Playing the jaw harp. In my freshman year of college, one of my roommates was studying music, and he gifted me one for my birthday.”
What surprised you about addresses after joining Smarty?
“I was familiar with 5-digit ZIP Codes before joining Smarty, but I’d never really heard of ZIP+4 Codes. Now, I know that a full, 9-digit ZIP Code represents a particular segment of a delivery route, rather than a broad area. That information really helps deliveries arrive at any location.”
What inspires you?
“Right now, it’s the anime Mob Psycho 100. Its overall message—to see the good in people—is conveyed so well that it has really changed how I view people. I used to think that while we say that people can change, we don’t actually think they can. But in reality, people do have the opportunity to change. Nobody is inherently evil.”
If you could choose one song to play every time you walked into a room, what would you choose?
“Supermassive Black Hole is the first song that comes to mind, but Dancing in the Moonlight would also be good.”
If it were up to us, Dancing in the Moonlight would blast every time Dallin walks through the door.
When he’s putting his Applied Statistics and Analytics degree to work by diving into data and uncovering insights, everything starts “feelin’ warm and bright.” Dallin brings the “supernatural delight” that makes both data and people want to dance.
Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or 1 horse-sized duck?
“I’ve thought about this one a lot. One horse-sized duck is pretty terrifying. Ducks bite, so a horse-sized duck could really do some damage. The duck-sized horses are going to kick pretty hard, though, and there’s going to be a whole bunch of them. But I feel like at that size, they’d only cause you to bruise. So I’d have to go with the duck-sized horses.”
Working at Smarty
From his problem-solving prowess to his powered-up positivity, Dallin elevates every project he touches. Whether you need a spreadsheet organized to perfection, lessons in the jaw harp, a unique take on horse and duck battles, or suggestions for your next hike, you can count on Dallin.
Want to join the Smarty team? Give our careers page a visit!
