Behind the Mic: Colleen Hayes

Behind the Mic with Colleen Hayes: From Journalism to Data Storytelling

In this special Behind the Mic episode of Cream City Calculations, we turn the spotlight on our own Colleen Hayes — a 20-year veteran in data analytics and data products whose career began in a completely different field: journalism. Colleen shares her winding path from inside sales at a tech reseller to law firm databases, manufacturing analytics, and financial services — revealing how curiosity, problem-solving, and a love of technology have been her constants.

We dive into:

• How transferable skills and a “figure it out” mindset launched her data career.
• The surprising similarities in how different industries use data.
• Mentors who made an impact and why advocacy matters in tech.
• Practical advice for newcomers on networking, building a portfolio, and staying relevant.
• How she applies data thinking to personal life (yes, even road trips).
• Why she’s passionate about AI’s future and her dream “data + books” app.

It’s an honest, inspiring look at the human side of data — and a reminder that your career path doesn’t have to be linear to be impactful.