Alter.Nation
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Today’s ACE spotlight is @mceleavey! Keep reading to learn more about Chris and what makes him a unique Alteryx super user.
Tell us a bit about your professional background.
I am a founding partner and technical lead in Bulien. I formerly worked as Lead Solutions Architect and a Senior Business Intelligence Consultant for another tech company focusing on Qlik Sense, QlikView, Power BI, etc. Prior to that, I was an ERP Business Consultant. I've been working with Alteryx since 2014/2015.
What is one fun thing about you that community members might not know?
I wrote a terrible novel, I play drums (badly), I make my own wine and beer (both horrific), I used to have pet rats, and I have a black belt in Shotokhan Karate. I was also once stabbed a bit.
What is your favorite Alteryx tool, and why?
I'm going to give some love to the Sample tool. It has so many uses, and I use it all the time. Also, my previous favorite, the Download tool, has many issues, and since it turned to drugs and is frequently found wandering the streets at 3 am singing inappropriate songs,
I'm going with the clean-cut, reliable Sample tool.
What has been your favorite Alteryx project?
Probably the Petco project, for which @Jeff_Neklason won the Disruptor award. It involved multi-chained apps which required "dynamic-hardcoding." Yes. Dynamic Hardcoding. Go read my blog.
What is your favorite Alteryx memory?
Without doubt my first Inspire as an ACE in Denver, Colorado. Meeting all the ACEs and getting to know them in person was amazing. I also thoroughly enjoyed beating @JarrodT at poker. And by “beating” I mean “humiliating”. It was brutal. I don’t think he’s recovered.
What advice do you have for new community members?
Throw yourselves in, talk to people, reach out, don't be intimidated. I remember being nervous about approaching the people I admired, thinking they wouldn’t want to talk to such a lowly mortal as myself, but the ACEs are there to help, and they pretty much guaranteed to want to talk to you because they are so passionate about Alteryx. Get an ACE talking about Alteryx, and you could be in for a long chat.
Don't take it too seriously!
What is your favorite way to engage as an ACE? Also, what area of the online community do you spend the most time in?
I love doing public speaking events. It feeds my massive ego.
I get around, but I always try to make time to answer questions and help people when they're stuck.
I also have a big event coming up...Project Asparagus! (Thank you @NicoleJ for naming it.) I've built (along with a minion - @TheOC) a process that dynamically creates an app on the fly before chaining to it. But for project Asparagus, we've taken a step further because the next chained workflow doesn't exist—it is created on the fly using sorcery. Project Asparagus would need almost 2,000 apps to be built to cover the possible outcomes, but we’ve done it in one.
More to come on this later!
Silly question... if you were a kitchen appliance/utensil, what would you be and why?
I would be that weird thing with a rotating arm and what look like scoops. It's been around for ages, and you can't figure out what it does, but it looks a bit weird and quirky, but you can't bring yourself to throw it out because you feel it must have some sort of use.
this is a joke
Ok, now finally, let’s do a quick “This or That” to get to know your Alteryx preferences!
Tune in next week to meet another amazing ACE!
Want to learn more about what ACEs do and how to become one? Check out this page to see details about the program.
