In the world of comic books, origin stories inform the reader of the identity and motivations of heroes and villains (thankfully, we only have the former here). Like Spider-Man or Captain America, your origin story is important as it defines who you are today. Learn about the experiences, people, and influences that shaped Concord's Daniel Bunch by reading below!
Where did you grow up?
Liberty, Missouri, a suburb about 20 min north of Downtown Kansas City.
What is your favorite family tradition?
My favorite tradition would have to be our Christmas traditions. The entire Christmas season is filled with many traditions, but the ability to spend time with my family, especially Christmas morning with my little ones, and watching them experience the unvarnished joy that comes with that time of year.
What is an experience that has shaped who you are today?
I was a theater kid throughout school, and the experience of getting up on stage taught me that stepping outside of your box can be some of the most rewarding work you can do. The ability to try things that I wouldn’t typically think I could do has allowed me to know that even if fear starts to come into situations, it can be harnessed in a healthy way to create something amazing.
How did you end up in your current career?
I started in project management seven years ago. I found that it was a career path that I was passionate about and saw the ability to learn and grow in the field. When Evolytics was looking to expand the program management team, I was contacted by a friend who knew I was working in project management and thought I should apply. I luckily then got to jump in working with our clients, most specifically Intuit, and the internal teams at Evolytics to provide some additional project management structures where they can be beneficial.
What is your favorite hobby?
As I said earlier, I was a theater kid growing up, and that hasn’t ever left me. I enjoy taking in as much live theater as I can fit into my busy schedule.What is your greatest accomplishment?
I think my transition out of operational work to project management would have to be my largest accomplishment. For several years early on in my career, I was working in several roles, just bouncing to a new area of the organization every year or so, trying to find a passion. When I was able to jump into project management and experienced leaders in the field within the organization recognized that I could be successful in the field, it was incredibly gratifying. To go from a feeling of being lost and rudderless to having a career that would allow me to grow and provide for my family was an outstanding feeling.
What advice would you give your younger self?
The advice that I would have for my younger self is that nothing is worth your mental well-being. Just like any other type of health, mental health has so many downstream impacts that aren’t initially evident, and it has to be tended to maintain a happy and healthy life.