Tales from the Trail: The Origin of The Data Cowboy

The Quick Backstory

Not many Westerns start with, “I studied Accounting”, but mine does. You see, before I became “The Data Cowboy,” I lived many lives. I’d been an Eagle Scout, a foreign exchange student, a world-touring guitarist, a tractor-trailer driver, and a US Army Reserve Drill Sergeant.? But, my real career began after graduate school, where my degrees in Accounting and Information Systems put me right on the frontier: half in the “functional” world of business, and half in the “technical” landscape of information systems.

As a consultant, I was welcomed into companies, listened to their stories, understood their challenges, and found solutions that stuck. Over dozens of clients, projects, and industries, I started to see a pattern. The greatest issues I encountered - ones that were completely avoidable - came down to one thing: bad data. I learned to teach the goodness of clean, foundational data to my clients as I fixed their problems, showing them that at the heart of every system lies the need for order, structure, and, above all, accuracy.

The Setting

Fast forward to 2015. ?My family and I emigrated from our native land, the Commonwealth of Virginia, riding across the country to the rolling hills above San Antonio.? I gave up my Virginian citizenship and became a naturalized citizen of the Republic of Texas. ?Embracing my new life as a Texan, I made one small change to my usual business attire - I started wearing Western boots. ?They were comfortable, professional-looking, and practical, yet distinctive - a subtle nod to my new Texas home. Little did I know, this small wardrobe change, just boots, had me on a path to a much bigger transformation.

The Instigation

A few years later, during a large meeting at work, a colleague visiting from another office noticed my boots and started teasing me. "You’re not a real Texan,” he said, “Not without a hat." ?He kept jabbing at me throughout the meeting.? I told him that I owned Western hats, but just didn’t wear them at work.? That did nothing to slow his insults.? Now, I’m a pretty easy-going guy, but something about his barbs sparked a bit of playful defiance in me.

The Response

So, I made a decision: from that day forward, I wouldn’t just wear boots - I’d wear a Western hat to every work event I could. Every meeting. Every trade show. Every conference. And I made sure that my colleague saw me. Well, what started as a light-hearted rebellion, jabbing back at my colleague, soon turned into my signature look.? The hat became a frequent conversation starter when meeting people, and before long, the Western boots and a hat were a part of me.

The Name

What began as a playful way to stand out became something much more. I was now a lot easier to spot at events and even around the office. People looking for me knew they could easily find me from a distance thanks to my hat.? At trade shows and conventions, people began to look for me, not just by name, but by my look. People I'd never met started coming to our company's booth asking, "Where’s the data guy in the hat?", or "Where’s the data cowboy?" It caught on, the nickname stuck, and soon, “The Data Cowboy” was born. In that moment, my personal brand had fully formed - style and substance wrapped in one.

The Personal Brand

Originally just a way to find me, that nickname evolved into something far greater: a personal brand that was both distinct and tied to my expertise. The hat and boots weren’t just an outfit -they were a symbol of my identity, a nod to the grit and hard work that data quality requires and cowboys represent. Now, people don’t just know me as someone with a distinctive style - they know me for the quality I bring to the table, for being able to wrangle the wildest data into clean, actionable insights.

I'm grateful for that chance encounter that sparked my personal brand.

Today, I'm proud to be known as "The Data Cowboy", a symbol of my commitment to local culture, hard work, and data excellence. And it’s about more than just standing out - it’s about knowing your stuff, owning your expertise, and bringing a bit of yourself into everything you do. The lesson here is clear: our professional identities aren’t just about what we know. They’re about how we present ourselves to the world. And sometimes, the unexpected things - like a pair of boots or a hat - can become the very things that make us memorable, relatable, and effective.

The Conclusion

So, the next time you find yourself pondering your personal brand, remember this:

• Every element of your professional identity tells a story. What's your story?
• Sometimes the most memorable identities are born from the unexpected. In the wild west of data, why not be The Cowboy?

Here's to embracing the unexpected journeys that shape our professional identities.

May your data always be clean,

your insights always clear,

and your personal brand always as crisp as the brim of a new ten-gallon hat.

This is my origin story - and I invite you to find your own story, your own unique identity, and wear it proudly.

I am The Data Cowboy and I approve this message.