Live at dbt Summit: The parts of a data career that never make the job description (Episode 9)

Recorded live at dbt Summit 2026, five women from dbt Labs, Faith McKenna, Erica Louie, Paige Berry, Grace Goheen, and Jerrie Kenney, get honest about the parts of a data career that never show up in a job description. The group talks about the moment each of them first felt "technical enough," why curiosity matters more than having the right answer, what it actually looks like to bring your whole self to work while also parenting, managing a chronic condition, or setting hard boundaries, and how to name and advocate for the invisible "glue work" that keeps data teams running. They close out with live questions from the dbt Summit audience. In this episode: When each host first felt technical enough, and why curiosity mattered more than certainty What "bringing your whole self to work" looks like in practice, and why it requires trust and psychological safety on a team How to advocate for glue work and non-promotable labor in performance reviews, with real examples Live audience questions on staying passionate in a tough industry and finding community A lightning round: career advice each host wishes she'd heard earlier 0:00 Welcome and introductions 0:36 Meet the hosts 2:01 What's missing from the job description 2:17 Feeling technical enough 11:30 Bringing your whole self to work 23:10 The unseen "glue work," and advocating for it 28:52 Lightning round: career advice we wish we'd heard sooner 34:48 Audience Q&A begins 35:14 On losing (and finding) your passion 41:58 What's bringing us joy outside of work 46:56 Closing and credits