Editor’s Note:
Our Terakeet team is filled with talented individuals who are passionate about driving value and finding fulfillment inside and outside of our walls. One such dedicated individual is SEO Analyst Stephanie Katz. This week, we chatted with her to learn more about her wide-reaching interests outside of work, including a bilingual drawing class, Peruvian cooking shows, and French music!
Q1: How did you come to work at Terakeet? What is your favorite part about working here?
Every person stumbles upon SEO in their own unique way. In my case, it was about three years ago while enrolled in a Master’s program in Museum Leadership and Marketing at Drexel University. Rachel Sanders, a current Senior SEO Analyst on the Tech Team, gave a riveting introductory presentation highlighting the importance of search engine optimization for the cultural sector for one of my graduate courses. Following the conferral of my degree and the completion of a couple independent SEO and data analytics consulting projects, Rachel and I reconnected…and the rest is history. But this story doesn’t end there. Most recently, through a funny twist of events, Rachel and I co-presented an updated iteration of that presentation to the Master’s course that I was once a student in — so it all came full circle!
In terms of my favorite part about working at Terakeet, that’s a tough one. For the last eight months, I’ve grown by leaps and bounds and collaborated on data-driven endeavors with some pretty incredible people. Together, we’ve contributed to the success of our cross-discipline teams and our customers. Every day truly is a great one, however, my favorite weekly meeting is our company-wide Circle-Ups on Friday.
Q2: Tell us a little more about you outside of work! What’s one thing most people wouldn’t know about you?
Outside of work, I channel my creative spirit through independent art projects both at home and in my local community. In addition, I seek out opportunities to support the Greater Philadelphia area’s cultural sector. Currently, I’m enrolled in a Spanish-English bilingual drawing class at Fleisher Art Memorial and I just finished a data-intensive project with the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia’s Strategic Planning Committee.
At times, I’ve often compared myself to a cat with nine lives since my last name is pronounced “cats”. Over the years, I’ve made several career pivots and prior to my arrival to Terakeet, I found myself working for a university-affiliated natural science museum with extensive scientific collections and dinosaurs. And before that, I worked for multiple international governments, founded a small sliding-scale language school, and lived in the Atacama Desert, considered the pearl of the north, in Antofagasta, Chile for about five years.
Q3: What’s your current obsession?
About 6-7 months ago, I developed an interest in figure drawing and painting, so I decided to join an artistic collective. Each week we translated light, shadow, movement, and the shape of the human form onto paper. Now, although I have since shifted my artistic interests, I still feel very much inspired every time I pick up a brush and swirl it around in a vibrant shade of watercolor.
Q4: Choose a book title for the story of your life.
Oh, The Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Seuss.
Q5: What’s the strangest/coolest thing that’s ever happened to you?
Very few people can say that they were born on their best friend’s birthday, but I can— which is pretty cool to me. My sister and I were both born on June 12. We are five years apart and I was the best present she could have ever imagined! Little did we know that three years later, my brother would be born on my Dad’s birthday. This means we are five people with three birthdays. Pretty strange, huh?!
Also, one fun fact about me is that I was a guest sous chef on a Peruvian daytime television show when I was 19.
Q6: What would your desert island band/artist be, and why?
If I were stuck on a desert island, rather than wishing for a band or artist, I’d want to get my hands on a swimsuit, a hammock, and some sunscreen. Depending on how many people live on the island, maybe we could even play a round of beach volleyball. In that case, I’d like to have that too!
However, if I HAD to pick a band or artist to hang out with on a desert island today, I’d probably choose Zaz. Although I don’t speak French too well, I feel like we’d get along well, laugh, and dance together.
Q7: What is one thing you’ve tried recently that has helped you stay calm and focused?
A standing desk.