Kristina Bittorf is a Senior Manager at Sprout Social and in this episode, she brings a breath of fresh air to the possibilities of a career in finance. In her role, any considerations on how to fund projects, allocate cash or maximize revenue run through Kristina. Kristina evaluates investments and returns at a deep level, but she emphasizes that on top of her analytical knowledge, it's her creative side that makes her good at what she does.

We talk about the ‘rut’ finance students sometimes feel when considering traditional banking and consulting. Kristina started her career at Deloitte and explains that starting at a large established firm with a lot of guidance was very helpful in her early professional life. Her transition to a broader and more encompassing position, as she holds now, is the result of many years of analyzing how to think about financing decisions creatively. Kristina explains that as she has gained confidence in her work, she has become excited by difficult problems versus feeling overwhelmed or paralyzed. She has a broader interest in technology, and we talk about the nuances of working at a tech company compared to a traditional bank or consulting firm.

Kristina radiates confidence you can hear in her voice, and she talks about how her experience as an international student was foundational to her education and personal growth. She says it was overwhelming at times but taught her to be resilient and channel her stress into action. Later in the episode, we talk about her experience on an Arrupe service-immersion trip at Boston College and the transformative impact it had on her life since then.