05.11.21

The Creative Essentials of Senior Analyst, Dan Cernugel

A member of the most recent class of Star Reachers, Dan discusses how he gets in the zone for finances and how he unwinds from a day of spreadsheets.

Dan’s work as a Senior Analyst in Financial Planning and Analysis means he’s entrenched in facts and figures that many of us might find intimidating. But after a day of crunching tough numbers, how does Dan kick back and recharge? Check out his Creative Essentials below:

Baseball: When I need to develop a creative solution to a financial issue, throwing a baseball around and bouncing it off the walls helps me focus – much to the chagrin of my wonderful roommates. It’s my version of Tom Cruise’s baseball bat from “A Few Good Men.”

Golf Clubs: Within the last few years, and especially during quarantine, I grew a passion for golf. I took the work-from-home opportunity to spend the winter in Florida and got to play a lot. I can’t wait for the Chicago weather to warm up to get back out on the course!

Speaker: I like keeping up with current events & politics and I’ve cultivated a good amount of podcasts to keep well informed. My current go-to’s are “Start Here,” by ABC News, and Crooked Media’s “What a Day” & “Pod Save America.”

Fireplace: After a hard day’s work, I like to turn on my fireplace, make a drink, kick my feet up and watch a game or catch up on my latest TV show. It’s a good time to unwind and clear my head of numbers and spreadsheets.

Travel Mementos: I enjoy traveling and am looking forward to exploring places on my bucket list post-pandemic. During my trips, I like to buy unique souvenirs, my favorite being this hand-carved fishhook from Hawaii.