Over at MarketCast, we’re pulling together short, but insightful interviews of our team, placing the spotlight on employees as they share what a day in the life looks like from their perspective. This time around, we’re diving in with Rudy Richa.
Name: Rudy Richa
Title: Manager, Custom Research
Office: New York
Time at MarketCast: 2 ½ + years – I joined in July 2019
Why did you decide to work at MarketCast? What made you want to apply?
Given my background in psychology and consumer behavior, market research was a no brainer for me. I knew people who worked at MarketCast and I really respected the work they did.
How would you describe your job?
I always say I’m a psychologist for brands – they come to us with a problem, and we give them the insights and guidance to solve it. By far, I have the coolest job and all of my friends admit it. It’s not only that we work with cool clients, it’s that the clients are coming to us to shape their future.
What is your proudest accomplishment at MarketCast?
Before pride month last year, Getty approached us to figure out how to accurately represent the LGBTQ+ community in images. Historically, visual representations of the queer experience have been very limited and stereotypical – I never felt represented growing up. With this project, elevating the data felt personal – I knew the people who this would affect. The client was very happy and even won an award for the initiative so I’m very proud of the work we submitted.
What does a day in your life look like?
6AM: Every morning, I start my day in the gym. Working out is like my morning meditation – I turn off my connection with the outside world and focus on myself.
8:30AM: Coffee in hand, I sit at my desk to write my to do list. I have a pretty busy day, so I have to stay fuelled.
9AM: Once I’ve completed the urgent requests from the LA and UK teams, I turn to the report that’s due this week. Turning data into a story is my favorite part of the job, so this is the perfect way to start my day. This particular report is for a really interesting project where we’re segmenting the global hair care and styling market, including studying the influence of race, ethnicity, culture, and hair type on engagement. I call the analyst and we work on it together over video chat.
11:15AM: I go for my first of three 15-minute walk breaks. I’m from Lebanon, so I call my family during my breaks – my mom is always first on my list.
12PM: With a thunderstorm rolling in outside, I have a midday check in with one of my direct reports who’s taking the lead on a screener for the first time. I have a few notes, but I’m very proud to see that my tips during our prep meeting paid off.
1:30PM: After lunch, I have a client call with Getty. We have a big deliverable to present, so the whole team is on the call for the presentation. We end with a Q&A session and a plan to present to the CMO later this week.
2:30PM: I have an extensive hair care regimen, so, twice a week, I put an avocado mask in my hair. I let it sit during my check in with my manager, Thalia Osbourne, where I get some tips for how to handle a client request. As a manager, I sit in the area between someone who manages others and someone who is managed and still learning so I love picking my manager’s brain for tips that I can then share with my direct reports.
3PM: I have virtual ethnographies for the rest of the day, so I rinse out my hair mask and begin preparing for the interviews. We’re studying how people engage with technology to inform in-vehicle infotainment development for a car manufacturer, so the interviews are loosely planned but will largely depend on what they talk about as they show me their cars, homes, and the tech they have.
6PM: I’m finished for the day and it’s perfect timing: my friends are starting to arrive for our weekday ritual of cooking dinner together and watching movies to unwind. During the week, I try to see my friends and relax because I usually spend all weekend trying new things and meeting new people. At the time of this photo, I was preparing to take a quick trip to Miami.
If you’re interested in finding out more about life at MarketCast, or better yet joining our team, check out our open roles and be sure to reach out.