Episodes
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Ever wonder what chart horizons lie beyond the basic bar, pie, or line graph? Jon Schwabish returns to the show to give us a tour of advanced chart options that can work well for business data storytelling and a few exotic graphs that are simply a fascinating and novel way to view data!
Jon is an economist at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC. In addition to his research on programs that support low-income communities, he is a writer, teacher, and creator of policy-relevant data visualizations. He is considered a leading voice for clarity and accessibility and how researchers communicate their analyses.
Jon is also the author of Better Presentations, Elevate the Debate, and Data Visualizations in Excel, and today's episode samples charts from his most excellent read, Better Data Visualizations.
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
The pros and cons of Excel, Tableau, Datawrapper, Flourish, Power BI, and R for data visualizations.
Why a bee swarm chart is one of Jon’s favorites.
The advantages of a waffle chart over a pie chart.
The importance of asking for feedback on a graph or chart you have created.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
Bee swarm chart
Waffle chart
Voronoi diagram
Dumbbell dot plot
Choropleth map vs. hexagon and tile map
Slope graph
Better Presentations
Elevate the Debate
Better Data Visualizations
Data Visualization in Excel
Tableau
Datawrapper
Flourish
Power BI
R
My free 30-second online assessment to find out the #1 silent killer of your data presentation success -
What makes a stellar Google Data Studio dashboard? Michele Kiss has the answer. She is a recognised digital analytics leader, with expertise across web, mobile, and marketing analytics. She is a Senior Partner at Analytics Demystified, where she works with clients on analysis, training, and process, to help them draw insight from their digital data.
Google Data Studio is Michele’s go-to tool, and after hearing about its interactive nature, the visualization options it provides, and the way in which it allows one to craft captivating data stories with relative ease, it’s not hard to understand why!
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
The multitude of benefits of using Google Data Studio.
The different ways in which Google Data Studio dashboards can be optimized.
How to make the most of the interactive nature of Data Studio.
Her favorite places for finding Google Data Studio templates and best practices.
Why Michele opts for more presentation slides with less information on each slide when presenting data.
Michele’s favorite Data Studio data visualization strategies.
The difference between the Data Studio dashboards and Data Studio reports.
Why simplification is key when it comes to data presentations and how to do it.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
Looker Studio Blog
Google Data Studio Online Course
Measure Slack chat
Analytics Power Hour
My free 30-second online assessment to find out and overcome the #1 silent killer of your data presentation success -
Missing episodes?
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This episode showcases another top-secret book snippet where I am sharing my top techniques and secrets for getting a business presentation audience to stay engaged, entertained, and enthused about your analytics and marketing insights.
I share the two most important questions I ask myself from my audience's perspective before presenting, and three cinematic data storytelling techniques you can use to create suspense, anticipation, and rapt attention.
It's a top-secret snippet from my upcoming book, The Ultimate Story-Driven Data Bible! Click here to get on the book waitlist to get exclusive updates, goodies, and more. -
Jason Krantz is a LinkedIn data superstar on a mission to help data practitioners kick ass at their jobs using a widely underutilized tool in the analytics field: business literacy and personal growth.
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
What is business literacy and why it’s the key to data practitioner and organizational success.
A practitioner’s first steps for becoming more business literate.
How to describe what’s at stake in the data to identify opportunities
How to explain the stakes in the data in the language of the audience’s needs.
What to do when encountering objections and cognitive bias in stubborn stakeholders.
The processes for adopting the perspective of a CEO.
Consciously seeking out certain kinds of discomfort in order to grow.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
Jordan Morrow
Be Data Driven
Be Data Literate
Simon Sinek
Tony Robbins
The School of Life
My free 30-second online assessment to find out the #1 silent killer of your data presentation success
Don't forget to hit the "Follow" button above to subscribe and never miss an episode! -
Today's guest is the one and only Kate Strachnyi, a meteorically rising star on the LinkedIn data circuit and appointed a LinkedIn Top Voice of Data Science & Analytics in 2018 & 2019.
We discover the mission behind her data media company, DATAcated, and her expert advice on how to overcome the greatest obstacles faced by data analysis practitioners and provide solutions for overcoming them, before delving into the topic of confirmation bias and how to sidestep it, and so much more!
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
The greatest obstacles in data analysis and data storytelling for practitioners today.
Kate’s top tips for better data storytelling.
How to use data storytelling to incite emotionally-driven, yet data-justified decisions.
How to avoid your own and your audience's confirmation bias in guiding the story.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
DATAcated
DATAcated On Air Podcast
Canva
Descript
My free 30-second online assessment to find out the #1 silent killer of your data presentation success -
Today’s guest is Kenny Soto (the only Kenny Soto that comes up on Google!), who joins us to share how he transitioned from music student to successful freelance digital marketing consultant and brand creator.
He discusses the importance of being able to explain data in a way that benefits the specific audience you are presenting to, how to present “bad news” to clients in a way that demonstrates your capabilities (and makes them want to rehire you), and more!
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
Why being comfortable with explaining (as opposed to just exploring) data is a valuable skill for a digital marketer.
The importance of differentiating between which data provides value to which people in your audience.
A new approach for presenting “bad news” to clients.
How hosting a podcast can replace your resume.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
The People of Digital Marketing Podcast
Score
Seerinteractive
Exit Five B2B Marketing Podcast
Founder Brand
My free 30-second online assessment to find out and overcome the #1 silent killer of your data presentation success. -
Dan Fraser is a presentation maven. He takes hard lessons from over 20 years of building and delivering dynamic presentations in government and the private sector - and hands them to you on a silver platter.
Dan uses his experience as a stand-up comedian to help instructors hone their ability to deliver unforgettable training. His book Kickass Presentations has just launched!
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
● How to use comedy to create more effective presentations for your audience!
● Components of a kickass presentation; engagement, memorability, emotion, and storytelling.
● A method for making messages stick, and the value of analogy.
● Humor in meetings; simple strategies for introducing laughter.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
● Kickass Presentations
● Rory Vaden
● Manager Tools
● My free 30-second online assessment to find out the #1 silent killer of your data presentation success -
Randy Krum, data viz extraordinaire, talks about the tyranny of the visualization default, the differences between data visualizations for discovery and communication, and why we shouldn't always use colors on everything!
He also talks about building on templates, the problems with numbers, and the scale of visual perception.
To finish off, we get some insight into Randy’s three keys of good data viz; making your charts understandable, memorable, and actionable!
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
The real job of a data visualization designer.
Why most charts suck!
The value and power of data story arcs.
Randy’s three keys to good data viz!
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
Cool Infographics
InfoNewt
SMU Data Viz
Alberto Cairo
DFW Data Viz Meetup -
Dr. Joe Perez is passionate about marrying the art and science of data presentation principles and how to close the gap between wanting to drive business decisions using data and actually doing so by viewing it as an asset to be invested in rather than a cost to be justified.
We also touch on using data to build bridges rather than silos within your organization and Joe shares the three R’s of actionable data and his advice for always selecting the right data visualization tool for the job, plus so much more!
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
How to skillfully combine the art and science of data presentation principles.
Ways to close the gap between the desire to drive decisions using data and actually doing it!
The three R’s of actionable data: relevance, resonance, and responsibility.
Strategies for selecting the right data visualization tool for the job.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
Spencer Sobczak
Doug Laney
Juice Analytics
Data Fluency: Empowering Your Organization with Effective Data Communication
Dr. Andrew V. Abela
Chart Chooser Cheat Sheet
SAS Visual Analytics
Sessionize
My free 30-second online assessment to find out the #1 silent killer of your data presentation success -
Steen Rasmussen is the data and digital analytics evangelist and Senior Partner at IIH Nordic. Steen is passionate about the idea of data activation, and in the episode, we get some insider perspective from him about how you can use this concept in your data dashboards!
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
The point of digital strategy: to support the overall strategy!
The analogy about a car and Steen’s wife that illustrates something important about data.
Shifts in the world of data; how ML and AI are beginning to enable autonomous data.
Why typical demographic-based customer personas are outdated.
The best place in your data to hide a "dead body".
The prediction engine that Steen finds more useful than basic demographic information.
How to remove excess and noise to communicate more impactful data.
A message for data practitioners around getting back to basics with a business.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
BigQuery
My free 30-second online assessment to find out the #1 silent killer of your data presentations
How to Keep Up with Steen Rasmussen:
Steen’s Twitter, LinkedIn -
Ann K. Emery is an internationally-acclaimed speaker who equips organizations to get their data out of dusty spreadsheets and into real-world conversations.
Each year, she delivers over 100 keynotes, workshops, and webinars with the aim of equipping organizations to visualize data more effectively.
And in this episode, Ann shares her wealth of expertise in data visualization and dashboard dexterity for your benefit!
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
All about Ann’s journey into data biz and how she leveraged her skills and personality.
The poll that Ann uses to start the conversation around data dashboards!
Different perceptions of dashboards and the first steps for client conversations.
The four types of dashboards and the steps in the planning process.
The necessary software for dashboard creation and thoughts on the nuances between different programs.
Tips and tricks for streamlining your data extraction process.
Challenges that Ann has seen most often in the dashboard creation process.
Unpacking the discussion around layout and chart types and Ann’s personal approach.
Ann’s recommendation of an impactful book dealing with the power of text placement.
Why Ann is so excited about the progress in the field of dashboard creation!
The advice that Ann would give her past self before her first presentation.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
Dataviz Courses
Strava
Nancy Duarte
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic
I Am a Book. I Am a Portal to the Universe
My free 30-second online assessment to find out and overcome the #1 silent killer of your data presentation success
How to Keep Up with Ann:
Ann’s LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram profiles -
Powerhouse digital marketing speaker Ross Simmonds goes on an exploration of the need for clear messaging when presenting complex data, and how to adapt your data story to create the most impact.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
How Ross fell in love with data and created a career through this.
Tips for better presentations and overcoming some of the fears.
Common mistakes in data presentation and how to avoid them.
How to think about presenting complex data to clients.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
Storytelling with Data
Presentation Zen
Slideshare
How to Lie with Statistics
Good Charts
13th
DataStory
Loom
Canva
My free 30-second online assessment to find out the #1 silent killer of your data presentation success
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES -
Marco Szeidenleder is Here to Help You Get to Grips with Your Data Dashboard!
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
Why being able to present data is central to utilizing its power.
How Marco and his team help their clients realize their data’s potential.
An example of how Pandata irons out data problems and misdirected leads through their reports.
How do you make sure your dashboards actually get used?
Getting to the essence of a data dashboard; less static than a presentation.
What is a feature every visualization tool should have, but only few provide?
Ingredients for an impactful and successful dashboard: self-explanatory, and prioritized.
Balancing dashboard interactivity with appropriate levels of functionality and consumability.
The foremost KPIs that Marco interacts with and maps out for his clients.
Common mistakes that Marco has noticed in regards to dashboards.
How do you handle or prevent excessive change requests before hand-over of a dashboard?
A few of Marco’s favorite current data tools!
Thoughts on using relatable concepts to communicate the message of the data.
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
My new book waiting list
My free 30-second online assessment to find out and overcome the #1 silent killer of your data presentation success
Pandata
Get an ObservePoint Demo
Looker
Metabase
Tableau
Bitquery
Digital Analytics Meetup
Flatten the Curve Pandata
Take my free 30-second online assessment to identify and overcome the #1 silent killer of your data presentations
How to Keep Up with Marco:Marco’s LinkedIn and Twitter profiles -
As data visualization practitioners, we often do not realize just how important color is. In today's inspiring conversation, Theresa-Marie Rhyne, a leading expert in computer-generated visualization, talks about all things color. Theresa-Marie works as a consultant, specializing in applying artistic color theories to a range of media and has also authored a book, Applying Color Theory to Digital Media and Visualization. We learn about the idea of color harmony and what this means for data visualization practice.
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
What color harmony is and how data visualization can use this better.
Why it is so important to understand the framework behind how we understand color.
What the rainbow color map is and why this is a common mistake in data visualization.
Some of Theresa-Marie's key rules for colorizing data visualization.
The importance of knowing the type of data you have before deciding on your color scheme.
About some tools that you can use to see whether you are color blind or have a color deficiency.
What color interactions mean and the effect that this has.
Valuable points to consider when applying a color palette to a dataset.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned:
Stanford Visualization Group
Applying Color Theory to Digital Media and Visualization
Interaction of Color
Pantone
Adobe Color
Nightingale
Sign up for the exclusive waiting list for my new book.
My online assessment to identify the #1 silent killer of your data presentation success. -
What’s the difference between a dashboard and a data story? Wait, there’s a difference, you ask? Absolutely yes, and Steve Wexler is here to help explain why.
Steve is the author of The Big Picture: How to Use Data Visualization to Make Better Decisions—Faster and coauthor of The Big Book of Dashboards: Visualizing Your Data Using Real-World Business Scenarios (with prior guest Andy Cotgreave!).
And in this episode, Steve communicates some key advice on making better data decisions through data viz and dashboards!
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
What you should do when you see the ‘scaredy-cat icon’ in his books
How scrollytelling is being incorporated into content for successful data storytelling.
Why Charles Minard’s infamous Napoleon March map is brilliant but falls short for modern data viz.
Why pie charts are mostly used incorrectly and bar charts are so effective!
The Comet Chart as an effective alternative to bar and pie charts.
How the Moiré pattern can occur in a bar chart and create a nauseating effect.
Key differences between a dashboard and a data presentation.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
Mistakes Were Made, (But Not by Me)
The Data Detective
Ted Lasso
Data Revelations Workshops
My free 30-second online assessment to find out and overcome the #1 silent killer of your data presentation success -
I sample a prime piece of content from my upcoming book on how to craft and deliver powerful, influential recommendations that get done using a popular goal-setting framework.Consider this a private mini future audiobook reading! To get exclusive access to book updates, events, and resources, sign up for my book waitlist!And be sure to check out my Data Presentation + Storytelling Boot Camp while enrollment is still open!>> VIEW SHOW NOTES AND RESOURCES
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>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
Everyone can recall a time when their emotions were moved by a story. On today’s episode, we explore the practice of harnessing the power of visual storytelling in order to educate consumers about brand and product. Our guest today is Shlomi Ron, CEO of the Visual Storytelling Institute or VSI, a seasoned digital marketing strategist with over 20 years of experience, having worked both on the agency and the brand sides for Fortune 100 and 500 brands such as Nokia, IBM, and American Express.
Join us for a candid conversation where Shlomi tells us about how he goes about developing a story that resonates with his clients through a three-part process, what story means to him, and what the three components of visual storytelling entail. He goes on to explain why he prefers the term visual storytelling to brand storytelling, and how to leverage data to tell a story. We talk about a number of strong examples of visual storytelling in the digital world, and Shlomi tells us why he aims to create content that feels like entertainment, rather than advertising. He uses the metaphor of a necklace to distinguish between story and narrative, where story is a bead and the narrative is the necklace. Next, we explore the Full Start technique, and Shlomi lets us in on his predictions for the future of visual storytelling. Finally, he tells us what advice he would give to his younger self, as a speaker, and introduces us to the tools he is using today that richly enhance his work.
Shlomi’s background in both corporate marketing and the brave new world of visual storytelling have fueled his passion to spread the gospel of visual storytelling to the marketing world.
Make sure to tune in today for some invaluable insights!
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
Shlomi’s history working in corporate marketing with side hustles in visual storytelling.
How Shlomi goes about creating a framework from which clients can work.
Shlomi’s three-part process: storymaking as the brand strategy, the story visualizing as the production or the content creation, and the storytelling as marketing and distribution.
What ‘story’ means to Shlomi and why a story is like a mirror; in order for it to work, it needs to reflect the personal story of the audience.
The three components of visual storytelling: the three-act story structure, the customer as the hero of the story, and a visual media format.
Why Shlomi prefers the term visual storytelling to brand storytelling.
How you can leverage data to inspire emotion through telling the right stories behind the numbers.
Some examples of visual metaphors Shlomi has used in his work.
Why Shlomi aims to create content that feels like entertainment rather than advertising.
The movement towards brand documentaries.
The power and backstory of Dove’s Real Beauty campaign.
The metaphor of a necklace to illustrate the difference between story and narrative.
What the Full Start technique is and an example of how it works.
Shlomi’s prediction for the future: new distribution platforms to break the classic social network mold.
Building trust, creating meaning, and nailing the delivery.
The value of discovery research.
Shlomi’s upgrade: the story library.
What advice Shlomi would give his former self: stand still, and use the power of story.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
Cafe Pellicola
Life is Beautiful
'5 Easy Ways to Create Narrative Images'
Greenlights by Jason McConaughey -
As a data practitioner, it can sometimes be difficult to know when to stop analyzing and take action. Khrystyna Grynko shares some of the classic symptoms of analysis paralysis, why it’s important for organizations and practitioners to recognize when they are suffering from it, and how to overcome it using her analysis action logic formula.
Khrystyna is the Head of Data at Better & Stronger Agency and a guest lecturer at the Jean Moulin University Lyon and Emlyon Business School who has been helping her clients use data better (and stronger) since 2015.
With more than nine years of experience in digital marketing and analytics, Khrystyna is not only extremely knowledgable but deeply passionate about what she does!>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
How to help organizations reprioritize by using two specific metrics based on their goals.
Tips to overcome what Lea calls ‘FYI culture’ and align the numbers with business objectives.
Analysis action logic: the point at which your analysis is sufficient and you should take action.
The benefits of methodically selecting which KPIs to analyze.
Khrystyna and Lea share their perspectives on dashboards versus data storytelling.
What makes MeasureCamp and other non-traditional events or ‘unconferences’ special.
The Upgrade: Khrystyna shares her favorite tools and resources, including the book, Essentialism.
Khrystyna’s advice for first-time presenters: be confident enough to insist on your recommendations.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
MeasureCamp
Tim Wilson Superweek Session
Superweek Analytics Summit
Peter O'Neill on Twitter
Adam Greco on LinkedIn
Essentialism
OWOX BI
Khrystyna Grynko OXOX Webinar
Orrin Woodward
Sign up for the exclusive waiting list for my new book. -
>> VIEW SHOW NOTES + RESOURCES
Dashboards are a powerful data viz tool, but all too often, they are poorly done and not used to the best of their ability. Our guest today, joins us to shed light on what makes dashboards stand out and convey information in an accessible, impactful way.
Andy Cotgreave is a Technical Evangelist at Tableau Software with a cult-like following, a columnist for Information Age, and host of If Data Could Talk. He is also the co-author of The Big Book of Dashboards.
Andy has inspired thousands of people, giving them technical advice and sparking ideas on how to identify trends and unearth their own data-discovery skills.
In this episode, he sheds important light on where so many dashboards go wrong and how they differ from data presentations.. Data alone can only do so much of the work; how it is communicated is as important, yet people often neglect this aspect. We also discuss the value of rehearsing and building fluency in the language you are speaking.
Andy’s passion is truly inspiring, and his invaluable insights into dashboards and presentations are hard to beat!
In This Episode, You’ll Learn…
How becoming a magician helped Andy become a better presenter.
The most common mistakes Andy sees people making when it comes to presenting data.
Tips on how dashboards can be tailored for presentations.
How you can adapt images and information from platforms like Google Analytics for presentations.
Insights on how to present complex graphs in a digestible way.
Andy's takes on color and how he believes it should be used in dashboards.
Characteristics that make dashboards stand out, according to Andy.
Some of the visualizations people are using which are doing more harm than good.
The book Andy is loving right now.
Exciting developments at Tableau that are exciting Andy most currently.
People, Blogs, and Resources Mentioned
Tableau Software
The Big Book of Dashboards
Hans Rosling: The best stats you've ever seen
Slow Reveal Graphs
Data + Science
Sir Viz-a-Lot
Real World Fake Data
The Design of Everyday Things
Good Charts
Perceptual Edge
How To Make The World Add Up - Show more
