30Under30 Nominee: Ethan Granholm
Great to hear from 30 Under 30 Nominee Ethan Granholm, Senior Research Analyst at Savanta, who is passionate about using creativity to develop insights that produce unique and impactful thought leadership.
How did you get into the industry and reach this point?
I knew from when I was in high school and working at Bed, Bath & Beyond that I wanted to get into market research. Interacting with customers on a regular basis made me very curious about examining the way they make purchasing decisions. As I got further into my college courses and internships, I fell in love with the critical thinking involved in formulating and evaluating research, and I wanted to use those skills to have real impact in the world. I was steadfast in finding a way that I could do this in a full-time role.
I was lucky to find Savanta, where I’ve been given fantastic opportunities to grow and develop my knowledge base and learn useful skills. I’ve also been empowered to create my own initiatives within the company, including being in charge of dozens of public opinion polls that we’ve pitched to the media, with a lot of mentoring colleagues and working with senior leaders along the way. Being able to lead polling, in addition to my main role conducting research for clients in a variety of industries, has accelerated my development and made me more versatile than I could have imagined starting out.
Why should someone consider a career in market research, data and insights?
Insights should be considered as a career because it’s thought-provoking! Conducting research can push you to think about people and society in a way that few other fields can. I cherish the ability to exercise my brain in my current role and develop empathy for people in many different walks of life. There is also real potential for your work in insights to have significant impact. I’ve been a part of projects in multiple roles that have been instrumental in reshaping products that millions of people use and have been blessed to have public opinion polls I’ve conducted be featured by prominent news outlets.
Career paths are rarely without challenges. Can you share a moment from your career when things didn’t go to plan, but the lessons learned remain with you to this day?
Early in my role, I was part of a project where we underestimated the time that it would take to put a long list of client data cuts into a report. After putting many late nights into trying to build out a huge report, we ended up communicating to the client too late that we would need considerably more time to finish. Thankfully, our clients were gracious and understood the situation, but this experience has engrained in me the importance of knowing where you’re at and what’s possible. Managing projects is all about predicting the future, which is possible if you have the right level of preparation.
What two things should junior researchers focus on as they progress in their careers?
I can think of so many things, but the two that most come to mind are the following.
Diversify your workload. Try to immerse yourself in as many different types of projects as you can. Diversity of experience will help you identify what you’re most interested and skilled in, while also making you an asset. Gaining diversity of experience also helps you be exposed to more unique client situations, where you can think of ways to solve all the problems that come up. The more mental gymnastics you can get yourself into, the more you can pick up on areas where you can improve your understanding.
Be a difference-maker. As a junior, you offer a new perspective and have fresh eyes. Find a way to use this to leave your mark and increase your visibility. Whether it’s finding a process that can be improved, building a new initiative or even helping to advance company culture, making a tangible difference to your company helps make your name a lasting memory and sets you on the right track to advancement.
Do you have any advice for our sector?
Education is key. On both the agency and client side, the industry is changing faster than it has ever changed before. Any improvement that can be made to client experience or final client deliverables using new technology or AI should be thought about. Given this period of rapid advancement, training is paramount. Responsibility to grow and embrace these new advancements will always lie with individuals themselves, so industry organisations should be thinking of ways they can provide modular, hands-on courses or training programmes that are keeping up with the pace of advancement, while also being broad enough to support researchers in a variety of areas. This is no easy task, but one that will require a lot of communication between those at all levels at a wide range of companies across the industry. We’re all in this together to create the path forward.
Is there anyone who has helped or supported you in your career who you’d like to acknowledge or thank?
There have been tons of people who have helped me along the way, so this is not a comprehensive list, but here are a few that stand out.
Katie Brown, for being an ultra-supportive SVP who always finds the time to help me grow and make sure I’m set up to succeed.
Akash Chopra, for leading by example and always being thorough in quality of work and when it comes to explaining tasks and processes.
Maggie Colledge, for your continued support and caring about my growth long after you stopped being my manager.
Ricardo Arcos, for providing constant mentorship and being the one to first teach me the ropes of this industry during my time at Ford Motor Company.
