Exploring Career Paths in Programmatic Advertising

Hello everyone! I am new to this community and wish I had known about it earlier. Here's a bit about my journey: I graduated in Geographic Information Science/Spatial Analysis and started my career as an AWS Solutions Architect. However, I wanted to relocate to NYC and looked for a role that didn't involve coding all day. My first job in NYC was at a managed service DSP, where I learned a lot about programmatic advertising, RTB, and digital marketing quickly. Their top-notch teaching program helped me ramp up fast. Within three months, I was managing over 30 campaigns for various advertisers, handling pacing and performance. However, my role was limited to launching and fully delivering campaigns; other teams took over after that. I contributed to product development, particularly in building bid price optimizers. My next move was to a startup agency where I was the only programmatic and direct team member. It was a steep learning curve involving trafficking, media planning, billing, partnerships, reporting, and direct buys. Despite working 70-hour weeks, this experience was invaluable. Currently, I am a Manager at one of the big 4 agencies, working on a significant account. I love my team and the brand, and it's not as stressful. A promotion to Associate Director is on the horizon, but I'm not convinced this is the long-term place for me. I've heard that smaller agencies offer better pay and believe I have the necessary experience to move. I'm considering various career paths, including Data Analytics, project management, product design, moving to the sell side, or joining an in-house advertising team. Shifting to paid search or social media also interests me. At 25, I want to ensure I'm on the right track. The parts of my job I enjoy the most involve data analysis, visualization, and helping my team. I don't enjoy trafficking or billing. What are my career options? Are the opportunities I've considered achievable with my background? Is there anything I'm missing? If I stay on my current path and advance, what might the next 10-20 years look like? I appreciate any feedback or advice. Thank you!