Leading with Data

In celebration of the new year, we've identified 10 episodes & guests from 2021 whose stories, experiences, challenges, and visions are the reason we do this podcast. They've given us practical advice for navigating through a digital transformation — illustrating clearly what to start doing today and stop doing tomorrow. They've presented “better ways'' that challenge the status quo and paint a picture of the future of data & analytics. But most importantly, they've shown us what it means to be a leader in this space. In this episode, host Cassidy Shield, shares his key takeaways from each episode. Check out the full episodes featured in the show: Every System will Break, So Build a Culture that Won't w/ Tim O'Keefe Leading the Charge for Diversity in Data Science w/ Sadie St. Lawrence The Path to Building a Data-Driven Culture w/ Bruno Aziza How to Align Culture Transformation with Business Strategy w/ Elena Grotto & Felicia Joy The Blueprint for Data Literacy Transformation w/ Valerie Logan How to Build a Winning Data Strategy w/ Jason Krantz Charting Your Own Course as a CDO w/ Wendy Batchelder How to Improve Data Adoption Through Human-Centered Design w/ Ally Margain How to Coach Your Team to Become Data Storytellers w/ David Ciommo Why Most Analytics Projects Don't Live Up to Their Hype w/ Dustin Schimek If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orhere. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Today's consumers are diverse. One marketing message just doesn't cut it anymore. Teams today need to create a variety of messages with the same narrative to strike the right chord with their audience. Words matter — and choosing the right ones can mean the difference between a lost opportunity and a lifetime customer. So, we turned to the expert, Kate Bradley Chernis, who has taken the guesswork out of writing for all of your marketing channels. She joins us to show how the right words turn customers into evangelists — and how Lately's AI technology will define the future of content marketing. Kate is the Founder & CEO of Lately – A.I. that learns which words will get you the most engagement and turns video, audio and text into dozens of social posts containing those words. As a former rock 'n' roll dj, Kate served 20 million listeners as Music Director and on-air host at Sirius/XM. She's also an award-winning radio producer, engineer and voice talent with 25 years of national broadcast communications, brand-building, sales and marketing expertise. What she learned in radio about the neuroscience of music helps fuel Lately's artificial intelligence. Prior to founding Lately, Kate also owned a marketing agency which got Walmart a 130% ROI, YoY for three years. In the episode we dive deeper into: Kate's experience working in radio The neuroscience of music How Kate “changed the channel” in her life Her entrepreneurial journey How to find the right investors by being yourself Building the world's most human AI (and how it works) Kate's leadership philosophy Lately's formula for a 98% sales conversion and more!  Check out these resources that were mentioned in the show: Connect with Kate on Linkedin Learn more about Lately  If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orhere. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

B2B marketers today have access to a more detailed, wider pool of data than ever before. Yet, even as they bury themselves in data, most marketers have an incomplete picture of performance and their customers. So in this episode, we turned to Chris Walker to learn more about how qualitative data can be the key to completing that picture — and executing quicker and smarter. Chris Walker is the Founder and CEO of Refine Labs, a progressive demand generation firm that challenges the status quo in B2B marketing. Fueled by marketing execution at scale, Refine Labs uses real data from real customers to create demand strategy and research for their clients. Before launching Refine Labs, Chris led marketing at two B2B firms where he built the foundation of his unique perspective on demand generation. Chris also hosts the State of Demand Gen podcast where he chats with today's top B2B leaders to share tangible advice and tactics to over 15,000 marketers. We covered a variety of topics including: Chris' career journey — from software engineer to marketer How Refine Labs is changing the way B2B companies go to market Why Chris once tried to post 8x on LinkedIn in one day The role data has played in Chris' success over the years Why marketers should care more about qualitative data Why marketing should be measured by revenue Organizational change in digital transformations How to simplify marketing attribution How CMOs can get their hands dirty and participate in marketing activities Check out these resources that were mentioned in the show: Follow & connect with Chris on Linkedin Learn more about Refine Labs Listen to the State of Demand Gen podcast wherever you get your podcasts If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orhere. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Today, many organizations are pushing for increasing and enhancing data literacy across their business — oftentimes running one-off trainings with the hopes of magically creating a more “literate” workforce. But, it's just not working. We need a different approach. What if instead we focused on making technology more “business savvy” so that non-data people didn't have to learn every data concept? What if instead of expecting non-data people to speak the language of data, we expected data scientists and analysts to speak the language of the business? In this episode, we sat down with the one & only Kate Strachnyi, Founder and Community Manager of DATAcated, to discuss this vision for the future of data & analytics and how she educates today's data professionals through community. In this episode we also dive deeper into: How & why Kate started DATAcated The vision for her new centralized community: The DATAcated Circle Her advice for others looking to build a brand and community on LinkedIn A different approach to data literacy Why technology needs to be built for the business user The value of data analysts and scientists who work through a business lens How more data can do more harm than good How to tell data stories that people care about Kate's vision for the future of data & analytics The importance of maintaining trust in data The role big organizations will play in educating & enabling the data community  Check out these resources that were mentioned in the show: Connect with Kate on Linkedin Learn more about DATAcated Apply to join the DATAcated Circle  If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orhere. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Data transformation can empower higher ed institutions to deliver excellent student experiences, reduce costs, and stay relevant with the changing demands of students and the educational landscape. However, higher education institutions tend to be slower moving in modernizing processes. So, how does one accelerate this type of vision? How does an organization bring all of the moving parts together? In this episode, we sat down with Rob Stirton, VP of Institutional Effectiveness & CIO at County College of Morris, to discuss how he played a hand in transforming the data culture at County College of Morris. Rob has 25+ years of experience in the data and analytics space and has established himself as a proven leader in educational technology, planning, strategy, analytics, and outcomes. He has spearheaded the generation and implementation of initiatives that have significantly impacted colleges and their students. Since becoming the Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness & CIO at County College of Morris in 2017, he has led a full blown data transformation that has vastly improved the way they serve their students. With Rob's expertise and leadership, they went from just being aware of data to truly being a data driven college in just 4 years. In this episode we dive deeper into: How Rob's passion for wanting to make an impact led him to working at community colleges The data transformation journey at County College of Morris The applications of data in higher education The difference between institutional research and institutional effectiveness How Rob's team got a data warehouse up and running in 10 months How predictive analytics reduced the impact of the pandemic and improved their ability to help students The importance of having data be a be a part of people's daily workflow How data storytelling is a self empowering tool for student success Check out these resources that were mentioned in the show: Connect with Rob on LinkedIn If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orhere. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

In the marketing world, there is an ever-growing divide between creativity and data-driven marketing. Many creatives worry that the increasing reliance on data will kill the freedom to take risks and pursue outside-the-box ideas. While advocates of data-driven marketing argue that dollars shouldn't be wasted on ideas that aren't guaranteed to generate a high ROI. Realistically, the best option for success lies somewhere in the middle; where data is used to not only defend the creative process — but inspire it. In this episode, we sat down with Brandee Sanders, VP of Marketing at Motive Retail, to discuss how creatives and marketers can build shields around their work using data. Brandee is simply a marketing rockstar. She's lived across two vastly different hemispheres of the mind, one side of logic and quantitative, statistical analysis and the other, human elementals driven by emotional, heart moving creatives. The deeply embedded world of data storytelling she's had the pleasure of working in has afforded her the opportunity to collaborate alongside Emmy award nominated multimedia creators and has done her time in the trenches at startups going to IPO. She's run the gamut from analytics to filmmaking and back again to demand gen and data science Ops. In the episode we dive deeper into: How Brandee went from a performer to a digital marketer How Etsy changed the trajectory of her career How she operates using dual hemispheres of her brain How a full-time gig allowed her to pursue her creative passions Her journey to becoming a self-taught marketer How to audit and understand a company's culture Using data as a tool to combat resistance to change Check out these resources that were mentioned in the show: Connect with Brandee on LinkedIn If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orhere. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we shop — increasing the demand for eCommerce experiences. In order to keep up, many brick-and-mortar businesses have been forced to transition to the eCommerce world. Yet moving a brick-and-mortar business online isn't simple. Today, ranking on eCommerce platforms, especially Amazon, requires a fine balance of art and science. From item setup and launch to driving search rankings, advertising, and sales — it is clear businesses need a holistic plan to jump into eCommerce. In this episode, we are joined by 2 experts who help companies make that jump — John Collins and Rick Sauls, Co-Founders of OmniiX and chargeguard. With a history of building and launching brands on Amazon and other online retailers, OmniiX serves to empower brands with the knowledge, actionable insights and thought leadership to even an unfair playing field. John & Rick work with large CPG brands to thrive on Amazon and create data-backed, sales converting content by working with a team of Amazon experts. In the episode, we talk about a variety of topics including: How John & Rick's individual experiences made for the perfect business partnership The ah-ha moment that started OmniiX Amazon's dirty little secret: chargebacks & shortages How companies organize teams around eCommerce The differences between branding & merchandising in the physical world vs eCommerce world The evolution and future of eCommerce How data is the key to thriving in eCommerce The importance of data management The birth of chargeguard Check out these resources that were mentioned in the show: Learn more about OmniiX/chargeguard Get your free C.E.R.A. account audit from chargeguard If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orhere. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Imagine this. You're starting up another analytics project or initiative for your company. You recruit top talent for your team. They produce great technical work that you're excited about. And the excitement ends there. No one uses it. The expected value and return is not realized. Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality that most companies face today. But according to Dustin Schimek, Data Analytics Leader and Former Director of Strategy & Analytics at The Master Lock Company, there's a better way — a way for your analytics projects to “live up to their hype”. In this episode, Dustin joins us to share his approach to driving engagement, adoption, and tangible impact with analytics projects. We also dive deeper into: Dustin's career journey How to get ahead in your career How to communicate more effectively using the 80/20 rule A day in the life of a Director of Strategy & Analytics How to run a successful analytics project How building a relationship with the user is key to adoption How to measure the success of an analytics project The power of personal examples in overcoming technical barriers Enabling business users with data How to cultivate a real culture of analytics The importance of creating a safe environment for analysts to be creative  Check out these resources that were mentioned in the show: Connect with Dustin on LinkedIn  If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orhere. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Increased demand, limited supply, and a relentless global pandemic have created the perfect storm in the housing market — forcing prospective buyers and renters to turn to the internet for insight. And today, thanks to the market research work of Igor Popov and his team, it's likely their first search result is Apartmentlist.com. As Chief Economist and Head of Product Analytics at Apartment List, Igor leads the research team in publishing original housing market research — an initiative that has played an integral role in driving the companies' SEO, communication and brand differentiation strategy. Igor also teaches an undergraduate seminar titled "Housing, Neighborhoods, and Homelessness" at Stanford University, and his research has been published in the American Economic Review. Prior to joining Apartment List, Igor worked as an economist and data scientist at Airbnb and earned his Ph.D. in economics at Stanford University. In this episode, Igor shares insight into how an external-facing data & research program operates, its benefits, and practical advice for getting one off the ground. We also dive deeper into: How the pandemic & remote work has impacted the housing market Research techniques for quickly capturing data The future of the housing market The importance of making investments in data storytelling Building differentiation and credibility in a saturated market How research has been a driver of Apartment List's communication strategy How to build an externally-facing data and research program How to select the right data projects The value of data in online marketplaces The evolution of online marketplaces  Check out these resources that were mentioned in the show: Connect with Igor on LinkedIn & Twitter Check out Igor & his team's work on Apartment List  If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orhere. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

In building data science teams, achieving a diversity of people, approaches, and points of view is not just desirable—it is critical. Yet, data science, like most STEM fields, still has a daunting diversity problem. As a trained data scientist and woman, this was clear to Sadie St. Lawrence at the start of her career. It was this reality and her desire for community that pushed her to take a leap of faith and start Women in Data — an international nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology and data science. Women in Data has been rated as the #1 Community for Women in AI and Tech, and is leading the movement to close the gender gap and increase diversity in data careers. Currently, Women in Data is in 15 countries with over 45 chapters, and has a community of over 20,000 individuals. In addition to being Founder and CEO of Women in Data, Sadie was the first female data science teacher to teach on the Coursera platform. She has trained over 300,000 people in data science. Her work has been featured in USA Today, Dataversity, and she is the recipient of the Outstanding Service award from UC Davis. In this episode of Leading with Data, Sadie sits down with us to share how her organization achieves their mission through data science awareness, education, and career advancement. We also dive deeper into: Women in Data's origin story Building courage like a muscle Sadie's vision for the future of the organization The future of data science education Advice for teaching online courses A case study on digital transformation in farming The speed of innovation and the need for “in-time job training” Why businesses need to bring apprenticeships back Taking a “parental” approach to AI Check out these resources that were mentioned in the show: Learn more about Women in Data Connect with Sadie on LinkedIn & Instagram Listen to the Data Bytes Podcast If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orhere. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

How to survive, let alone succeed, in business has been changing slowly for decades. In the last 5 to 10 years, we've witnessed a much more radical transformation — a need for modern-day businesses to challenge the status quo. To reject beliefs that are widely and blindly accepted across the industry and create something new. This is the key to innovation according to our latest guest, Wil Reynolds, VP Innovation at Seer Interactive — a digital marketing agency that specializes in innovation across SEO, PPC, and Analytics. When Wil founded Seer in 2002, it was a one-person search firm. Today, it's comprised of a talented team of over 150 people who strive for leadership across the marketing industry. Seer was founded on the belief that when you share your time and talents with the community, everyone benefits. Wil's vision was to give everyone the flexibility they needed to contribute to the community in meaningful ways. Over a decade later, this still rings true. In this episode, he joins us to share his unconventional approach to running an agency and his philosophy on innovation. We also dive deeper into: Wil's entrepreneurial journey His decision to step down as CEO How to create an open & innovative workplace environment The importance of challenging executive leaders How to define innovation The value of thinking differently How to balance running a high-growth business & family Check out these resources that were mentioned in the show: Learn more about Seer Interactive Subscribe to Seer Interactive on Youtube Connect with Wil on LinkedIn Read Wil's blog on Medium:” If you want help with work life balance, define it.” If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orhere. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

With so much data all around us, more and more businesses are joining the pursuit of data culture. One may even say it has officially become a buzzword in the analytics community. But, building a data culture needs to be treated as a strategic priority — not just a buzzword label. So, what are the building blocks required to create a thriving data culture in your organization? For the answer, we turned to Ganes Kesari, Co-founder and Chief Decision Scientist at Gramener. Ganes is an entrepreneur, AI thought leader, author, and TEDx speaker. Ganes advises executives of large organizations on data-driven decision making. His expertise lies in the application of data science to solve business challenges, and in building teams to promote a culture of data. In this episode, he breaks down the 4 key indicators of a lasting data culture. We also talked about: Why executives need to be the biggest advocates for data-driven change The mindset shift needed to seed a data culture The importance of having a technology strategy The role & authority of a Chief Data Officer Picking the right metric to measure success How to identify your internal data champions/early adopters The model for measuring data maturity How to define “data culture” Is data & analytics overvalued?  Check out these resources that were mentioned in the show: Check out Ganes' article on Forbes about this topic Learn more about Gramener Sign up for Ganes' “Our Data-Driven Future” newsletter Connect with Ganes on LinkedIn  If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data onApple Podcasts,Spotify, orhere. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

We all know the potential value data can bring to businesses. But the potential to deliver that same data and value to external customers is often left untapped. Many companies today feel like they should be doing more with their data in service of their customers. Yet, they often struggle to unlock it and deliver it in a way that accounts for the end user's experience. As Co-Founder & CEO of TopCoat Data, Seth Rosen , sees this every day and believes approaching data with a product mindset can be the key to unlocking this untapped value. Seth joins us on the podcast to share how companies can build data products that win over customers and create real advantage over their competitors. At TopCoat, Seth and his team help companies and data teams everyday build customer-facing analytics products. Previously, Seth held senior product roles at Drync, Catalina, and LivingSocial. Seth was a co-founder at BuyWithMe.com, a leading social eCommerce company that competed with Groupon and LivingSocial, from January 2009 until it was sold to Gilt Groupe in November 2011. Prior to BuyWithMe, Seth was a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the System and Process Assurance group, working mainly with large financial institutions. In the episode, we cover a variety of topics including: Where Seth finds inspiration for his Twitter The problem Topcoat Data aims to solve The pitfalls of traditional BI tools  Modern data team looks more like software product development. The challenge in blending software development and data teams. Why companies treat their product data as an afterthought What a modern architecture looks like for your data product. Does every product ultimately become a data product? Why embedded analytics usually = a poor user experience Check out these resources that were mentioned in the show: Check out TopCoat Data Follow Seth on Twitter or connect with him on LinkedIn If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Most businesses today are sitting atop an untapped mine of data, and they need a skilled workforce to uncover the real gold. Enter the Data Scientist. The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century. The demand for this role has increased rapidly— gaining significant traction across industries. The spotlight has caused many to wonder “Can I be a data scientist?” What are the skills I would need?” One need look no further than Harpreet Sahota, Data Scientist at Comet and Host of The Artists of Data Science Podcast — the only personal growth and dev elopment podcast for Data Scientists. He's a thought leader in the Data Science space with over a decade of education, experience, and technical chops in the field. By day, he's working with leadership to define and execute strategies that demonstrate the value of the data at Comet. By night, he's mentoring and providing technical guidance to nearly 2000 up-and-coming data scientists. Harpreet is on a mission to help develop today's data scientists — and not just their technical skills. But their creativity, critical thinking, and ability to actually think like a scientist. In this episode, he shares his advice for emerging data scientists as well as analytics leaders looking to build their first data team. We cover a variety of topics including: Harpreet's career journey & future aspirations Why Harpreet started a podcast The evolution & future of data science The right way to build a data team How to hire data scientists The 3 things you need to do as a data scientist What skills make for a good data scientist Technological advances in the field Check out these resources that were mentioned in the show: Register for a Data Science Happy Hour Listen to The Artists of Data Science Podcast Connect with Harpreet on https://www.linkedin.com/in/harpreetsahota204/LinkedIn If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

It is no news that organizations today are still having challenges with data adoption. However, one important factor that often goes undiscussed is the lack of focus on the end user experience while designing and building data products. But, imagine if every data team had a UX designer. Imagine if we began treating data as any other product. Imagine if we began applying traditional UX design principles to our data in order to create more actionable experiences. As UX Design Lead at Visa and former Design Lead of Data Strategy and Transformation at USAA, Ally Margain, knows the impact of this approach better than anyone. Prior to her new role at Visa, Ally played a role in leading the transformation of internal enterprise data experiences, processes and data literacy products at USAA – making data human and accessible so their employees could make more swift, data-informed decisions. Earlier in her career, she exercised a different creative muscle working at a Hispanic market Ad Agency — working on accounts like Yoplait, Totino's Pizza and Western Union as Art Director. In this episode, Ally shares how to re-energize data & analytics experiences and improve adoption through human centered design. She also discusses: The role of a UX designer How to apply human-centered design to data Thinking about data as a product How to build "data" personas Why data needs a rebrand How to leverage design systems for scaling data initiatives The ROI of hiring a UX designer for your data team If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Chief Data Officers. They are the voice of data and the leaders of transformation within an organization. Today, their role is imperative to driving growth and innovation. Over the years the role of the CDO has evolved, gaining significant traction in the industry. However, the role's responsibilities remain pretty undefined. Therefore, it is often up to these individuals to define their role, chart their own course, and pave the way for data to be used meaningfully across the company. As the first CDO of VMware, Wendy Batchelder, knows this challenge better than anyone. As Chief Data Officer, Wendy is responsible for the company's business insights, analytics solutions and delivering excellence in data management across VMware. Wendy has spent over 15 years in leadership roles at a variety of global companies spanning various industries. Prior to her role at VMware, she held various leadership roles at Wells Fargo, including Head of Enterprise Master & Reference Data and Head of the Corporate Risk Data Office. In this episode, Wendy shares practical tips on how to spearhead a data-driven transformation and succeed in the Chief Data Officer role. We also discuss: Wendy's career trajectory that led her to VMware Building diverse data teams How to measure the success of a data transformation How to improve data literacy organically What is really means to be data-driven Wendy's leadership philosophy Data management, governance, and the notion of “access” The future of the CDO role If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Moving toward a more data-driven culture is certainly attainable, and it starts with a data strategy.  A data strategy is often viewed as a technical exercise, but a modern and comprehensive data strategy addresses more than the data — it is a roadmap that defines how data will address business objectives and generate real value.  And no one knows how to create that roadmap better than Jason Krantz, Founder & CEO of Strategy Titan, a data analytics company that helps organizations grow their top lines, bottom lines and valuations by "weaponizing" data and transforming it into a competitive advantage. With over 10 years of business analytics, data science, and strategic leadership experience in public and private equity owned business, Jason specializes in creating award winning analytics strategy, capabilities, teams, and solutions that drive tangible revenue and EBITDA improvements. He's also co-host of Transformation Nation, a podcast all about personal and professional transformation. With Jordan Morrow by his side, the two share strategies and tactics to maximize your potential and start investing in you. Jason joins us on the podcast to share his tried & true process for helping companies build a winning data strategy.  We also discuss: Becoming an entrepreneur & the origin of Strategy Titan How the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation Aligning your data strategy with business objectives How companies are tackling data strategy backwards How to ask the right questions about your data [the 5 question approach] Thinking about your data as tool to answer questions How to establish trust with business leaders How business literacy will cross over into data literacy If you like what you heard, check out Strategy Titan's new training program (currently in development — private beta coming soon) and sign up to be notified of its launch: https://www.strategytitan.com/training.html

Big Data is overrated. We don't need more volume — we need more diversity We can do more with less. And someone finally needed to say it. That someone is Jennifer Prendki, Founder and CEO at Alectio , the world's first Data Prep Ops platform. Before that she held senior leadership positions in data science and machine learning at Figure Eight, Atlassian, Walmartlabs among others. She also has a PhD in particle physics, from Sorbonne in Paris, which greatly influenced her belief that we can move away from the brute force of Big Data into the precision of Smart Data. In this episode, we discuss: Transitioning from particle physics to entrepreneurship How to do more with less data Why Big Data is overrated (and why we should strive for Smart Data, instead) How principles of human learning apply to machine learning How to tackle Big Data using automated data curation The economics of machine learning The ins and outs of Data Prep Ops If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or here . Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

It seems that everyone is talking about data literacy today. CDOs position literacy among their top priorities and for many organizations, it is one of their most pressing needs. But, how do you actually create data literacy? What's the best approach? How do you get started? In this episode, Cassidy chats with Valerie Logan, CEO & Found er at THE DATA LODGE , about her pragmatic approach to teaching and promoting data literacy within your organization. Valerie is on a mission to train and certify the world's first data literacy program leads across the globe… from her house in the woods. This mission led her to start THE DATA LODGE — a virtual home for growing data literacy, where she leads bootcamps and keeps a resource library for data literacy advocates. Before that, Valerie was a VP at Gartner, where she led their Data & Analytics Group and brought to market the idea of Information as a Second Language (ISL). She has also been a leader at companies like HP, Knightsbridge Solutions, and IBM. As a researcher, she focuses on the area of emerging leadership models, including the role of the Chief Data Officer (CDO). We discuss: The origin and framework of THE DATA LODGE Valerie's teaching & program methodology How to define data literacy Three elements that make up data literacy: mindset, language, and skills ISL and mastering the VIA model The signs & symptoms of a lack of data literacy How executives can model the way & advocate for data literacy Why data literacy is one of the biggest invisible problems out there Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman's Guide To Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic Power by Rachel Rodgers If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or here . Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

At Narrative Science, we're super proud of the AI technology we've built. Lexio is the world's only automated data storytelling system and is making its way into the tech stacks of more companies every year.  When people hear what our tech can do, they often assume that it must be built with some of that newfangled machine learning (ML) or deep learning (DL) that everybody's talking about. Nope! For this episode, we wanted to experiment with a shorter format that we're calling Leading with Data: Short Stories. Our guest guinea pig is our very own Chief Scientist, Nate Nichols, who provides insight into the applications of NLP/ML in our everyday lives and our product, Lexio.  We also dig deeper on: How our data storytelling technology has evolved The types of NLP that exist in the market today and where we see it in our everyday lives When to use a deep learning approach & when not to Why we don't use deep learning to write data stories in Lexio How we do use ML within the broader Lexio experience How this technology will advance over the next 5-10 years  Advice for technologists evaluating these technologies as a part of data & analytics solutions Resources for getting smarter on NLP and machine learning Nate also recently wrote a blog on this topic where he provides more detail into why we don't use deep learning to write data stories in Lexio.  If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Data storytelling is emerging as a critical component of data and analytics. Since we are visual creatures, data enriched by effective, human-centered design principles is the best way to convey clear and compelling insights. So what do you need to know to do it well and how can you get your company to see value in it? In this episode, Cassidy speaks with David Ciommo, Data Visualization Principal at Humana, about making the jump from visual storytelling to data storytelling and how he established a data storytelling discipline within his company. David is a data storyteller and data literacy advocate and the first ever winner of the Best Data Storyteller Award presented by Narrative Science. A trained illustrator, he began his career in graphic design and art direction before pivoting to data storytelling with no data or analytics background. What he did know was how to take data and tell stories with it. At Humana, David founded the Visualization Center of Excellence, an internal site created to share style guides, tip sheets, and other resources around data storytelling and data literacy. His overarching goal is to combine purposeful human-centered design principles with first class data visualizations in an effort to provide meaningful insights and tangible actionable opportunities to the leadership at Humana. We discuss: -Translating visual storytelling skills to data storytelling -Establishing data storytelling within the analytics team -The genesis of the Visualization Center of Excellence -Why you should always start with the story -Teaching data storytelling to others -Launching a data literacy campaign If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts , Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Democratizing analytics is not about disseminating dashboards throughout an organization or spending a ton of money on putting in a new data infrastructure. Availability of data is not the key to democratizing analytics. In this episode, Cassidy speaks with Joel Shapiro, Professor of Data Analytics / Chief Analytics Officer at Varicent, about how having an understanding of how data analytics solves business problems is the key to democratizing analytics. Joel is an expert at helping organizations generate business value with data analytics. He is currently the Chief Analytics Officer at Varicent, a leading Sales Performance Management solution provider. He also teaches advanced analytics to MBA students at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Joel is a regular contributor to Forbes and CNBC and his work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review and cited by top business publications, such as Business Insider. We discuss: Fitting data analytics into a business school curriculum How to truly democratize analytics Why organizations don't prioritize data education Training people to think about data as information The ad hoc nature of analytics How to know when your data team is the right size Why everyone will need to have data skills in the future Visit Joel at joelshapiroanalytics.com. If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Data literacy is not only important for businesses who want to be successful and individuals looking to level up their careers. At a macro level, it's integral to addressing all the problems we face as a society. In this episode, Cassidy speaks with Ben Jones, Founder & CEO at Data Literacy, about the steps an organization can take to begin closing the data literacy gap. Ben is an experienced and passionate data instructor. He has taught hundreds of thousands of students in both corporate and academic environments and currently teaches data visualization theory at the University of Washington. An accomplished author, Ben has written five books including Avoiding Data Pitfalls and Data Literacy Fundamentals. In 2018, Ben became aware of a huge gap in data literacy, data education, and data assessments and decided to launch a company to address what he saw as a critical problem in our society. The company — Data Literacy — helps businesses, government agencies, and individuals break through the barriers holding them back from improving their data knowledge and skills. Topics covered: -Filling the data literacy, education, and assessments gap -The evolution of data literacy -How to start improving data literacy within your organization -How leadership has contributed to the gap -The importance of the human element in data -The costs of falling into data pitfalls Reach out to Ben on LinkedIn, by email (bjones@dataliteracy.com), or on Twitter (@dataremixed). If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

A lot of data practitioners struggle with telling an effective data story. They excel at getting the data. They have expert-level knowledge of data visualizations. What they lack is a clear understanding of how to choose the right story to tell. In today's episode, Cassidy speaks with Maria Massei-Rosato, Vice President and Data Evangelist at Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Among other topics, they chat about her journey in data science and her advice for constructing the right data narrative. Maria has over 25 years of experience in data science, starting out as a computer programmer. During her time at the Central Bank, she created a start-up practice that elevated their ability to connect and synthesize disparate and complex informational sources and create insightful analyses. Aside from her strengths in data analysis, she's also a talented writer. Her screenplay, Lost in Control, placed in 14 film festivals and won best screenplay at the Milan International Film Festival and the Montana Covellite Film Festival. The film is based on her memoir, which is a mother-daughter story shaped by lessons she learned while cycling across the country over seven and a half weeks. It's this unique combination of skills that made her the perfect person to launch a data storytelling course at Parsons School of Design. Additionally, she leads customized workshops based on this course for organizations interested in learning more about data storytelling techniques. Topics covered: -Pursuing a career that combines both analytical and creative aspects -The process of creating and teaching a data storytelling course -Tips for constructing a better data narrative -Why design thinking and adaptive leadership should be more widely adopted Learn more about Maria on her website, on IMDb, and on Instagram. If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

If you talk to any executive, they'll tell you that leveraging data is a competitive advantage. But according to today's guest, a lot of companies still don't know exactly what that means and how best to operationalize data to gain that advantage. Cassidy speaks with Benn Stancil, Chief Analytics Officer and Founder at Mode, about how the modern data stack has evolved and why the current data playbook is incomplete. Previous to Mode, Benn was an analyst at Microsoft and Yammer, where he helped lead product analytics. He also worked as an economic analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC. At Mode, Benn leads internal analytics efforts and provides strategic oversight and guidance to product directions. An active content contributor to the data science community, you can find Benn's articles at benn.substack.com. They discuss: -How the switch to remote work affected Mode and the SaaS industry -Mode's origin story -The gray areas of self service and the role analysts should play -Why Benn writes articles and what he gets out of it -The missing piece in the modern data stack -Why the most important quality for a good data team is curiosity -How to usher your company out of the old world into the new world of data Follow Benn on Twitter, or email him at benn@modeanalytics.com. If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

In this episode, Cassidy speaks with Lillian Pierson, a world-class data leader, entrepreneur, and educator, and the CEO of Data Mania. They discuss different approaches data professionals can take to become data entrepreneurs and how data science has evolved over the years. Lillian has trained over 1 million data professionals through her YouTube videos, online courses, and books. She's particularly passionate about helping data professionals and new data entrepreneurs start their own business. As an independent consultant, she has supported over 10% of Fortune 100 companies and she's been featured in Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, and The Guardian, among dozens of other publications. They discuss: - Lillian's journey building an online business around data education - Avenues for becoming a data entrepreneur - Defining your audience in the data & analytics space - Data science career trajectories - Lillian's 2 methods to start a side hustle - Approaching data as a product versus a supply chain - The case for creating data products Check out Lillian's YouTube page and take the Data Superhero Quiz. If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Culture transformation — it's an intimidating project. How do you do it in a way that holistically shifts mindsets and behaviors and tangibly delivers impact to the business? For the answer to that question, Cassidy speaks with two EVPs from Edelman: Elena Grotto, the Business Transformation Group Head in Chicago, and Felicia Joy, the US Head of Behavioral Science. Elena has over ten years of experience designing and facilitating behavior change, adult learning experiences, communications campaigns, and employee value proposition strategy. In particular, she specializes in shifting employee mindsets and behaviors and stabilizing the workforce amid enterprise-wide transformation. Felicia is a behavioral scientist and strategic corporate affairs leader with experience in marketing, public relations, and corporate communications. She has put her skills to use in a range of sectors including corporate, government, non-profit, and academia and across industries like healthcare, hospitality, energy, aviation, and financial services. Elena and Felicia currently work for Edelman, a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote, and protect their brands and reputations. The two pull out actionable insights from employee data sets and design operational recommendations and communications to elevate the employee experience, often during times of great change within a business. We discuss: -How early experiences in the worlds of contemporary art and public relations led them to their current positions -The types of projects they collaborate on for clients -How employers have become a source of trust -How communications can shift mindsets and behaviors -Tying culture to a business strategy with data -Measuring the effects of culture change -Who should be in charge of culture change -Research on the impact of COVID on work and culture Check out Edelman's 2021 Trust Barometer. If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

Thinking it's trendy isn't a strong enough reason to develop a data strategy, culture or structure for your business. You need to integrate the purpose of your business with the purpose of the data you collect and use. We're lucky to be joined by Bruno Aziza, Head of Google Cloud Data & Analytics at Google, who shares how to develop a culture that embraces the use of data in everyday decision-making. What we talked about: - Bruno's dedication and approach to learning and teaching - The evolution of business intelligence - Distilling customers' data challenges - Why you shouldn't let vendors label what you do & instead define it yourself - Red flags that indicate an unsustainable data culture - The difference between data warehouses & data lakes - Actionable advice to build a data-driven culture Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: Bruno's LinkedIn profile Drive Business Performance (a book by Bruno) Analytically Yours (Bruno's podcast) Bruno's YouTube channel (where you can access The Car Cast) If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Public health is the great equalizer — it affects everyone. Data plays an integral role in solving the complex problems of public health by providing evidence-based solutions that can benefit the entire population. In this episode, Cassidy talks with Dr. Aditi Srivastav Bussells, Director of Research at Children’s Trust of South Carolina, about the importance of making data accessible for all, especially those who may have no experience with it. Aditi is a public health researcher, storyteller, and strategist with a PhD in public health and 10 years of experience in both policy and non profit settings. She focuses her efforts on using research and data to create sustainable and meaningful change for communities and organizations. Currently, Aditi specializes in the areas of risk behavior prevention, health equity, health communications, and child health with Children’s Trust of South Carolina. She is also running for City Council in Columbia, SC under the belief that you cannot have a healthy economy without healthy people and vice versa. She plans to bring her unique perspective to bear on solving the challenges of the city as it emerges from the pandemic. What we talked about: -Working in public health during the pandemic -Choosing public health over academia and the corporate world -The day-to-day of dealing with data in a community versus a company -Changing the story of data depending on the audience and measuring impact -Educating groups on data with Stat Chats -Advice for someone getting started in public health data -Running for city council Follow Aditi on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or visit her website: aditiforthecity.com. If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Data literacy is the missing piece keeping most organizations from truly leveraging data to drive successful business outcomes. Luckily, we’re talking to the man who created the roadmap to data literacy. In this episode, Cassidy chats with Jordan Morrow, Head of Data, Design, and Management Skills at Pluralsight, about how to bring data literacy to your organization. Jordan’s on a mission to close the data skills gap and establish a data-centric culture by bringing data literacy to the masses. He’s passionate about delivering a human touch to a world of numbers and gets the greatest satisfaction when he can help people see and understand the power that data analytics can bring to their careers, their businesses, and their personal lives. Currently, Jordan leads Pluralsight’s data and design/management across various channels. The program is designed to help people learn and improve their data capabilities and gain an understanding of how to effectively use these skills to handle the large amounts of data found in modern organizations. What we talked about: -How COVID accelerated the digital transformation of many companies -Becoming the godfather of data literacy -Expanding educational content past data literacy to data science, data engineering, and data governance -The definition and four levels of data literacy -A five-step process for implementing data in the workflow of a business -How individuals and companies can get started with data literacy -Who should own data literacy initiatives Check out Jordan’s new book Be Data Literate: The Data Literacy Skills Everyone Needs To Succeed. Want a copy? Reach out to Cassidy on LinkedIn or at cshield@narrativescience.com. If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Are you a runner if you spend a ton on running gear, only to run 10 miles at the end of every quarter? Probably not, right? So, why do so many companies claim to be data-driven, when they do the exact same thing with their data? We need to improve our data cultures — and we do it with storytelling. In this episode, the tables are turned as Kate Strachnyi, Founder of DATAcated, interviews our very own Nate Nichols, Chief Scientist, and Cassidy Shield, VP of Marketing at Narrative Science, about how to get a real data culture going in your organization. What we talked about: -The 3 components of data storytelling -Why stories are how our species understands insights -Why today’s technology leaves too much room for interpretation -How we create a stronger, data-driven culture -How to tell a data story to a business executive -How Lexio works and its use cases Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: Let Your People Be People Lexio Interactive Demo If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

How do you make transformation a career? By taking risks and seizing opportunities. Just ask Franklin Ortiz, Finance & Transformation Manager at Airbus, who has grabbed hold of every opportunity to propel his career forward — from joining academia to leading an employee resource group. Franklin is an innovative and dependable leader who focuses on implementing finance and project management principles to align with organizational strategic objectives. Franklin is skilled in financial controlling, inclusion & diversity, employee engagement, program and project management, business transformation, mergers & acquisitions (M&A), infrastructure project management and international government contracting. What we talked about: -Franklin’s career trajectory -Why taking risks is the only route to success -How academia can make you a more well-rounded leader -Why generalists succeed in transformation careers -The challenge and reward of leading an employee resource group -Why transparency makes a great leader If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Most companies start off as innovative, because they invent and implement something novel and disruptive. Over time, although innovation typically continues, it gets harder to disruptively innovate, which is dangerous, because if you’re not disrupting your industry, someone else eventually will. It’s something Marcus Weldon works on day in and day out as CTO at Nokia and President of Bell Labs. He joins Cassidy in the latest episode of Leading with Data to share everything you need to know to be on the winning side of the disruptive innovation game. What we talked about: -What disruptive innovation is -Why your company should aim to disrupt -Why innovation is not just about invention but also implementation -Why a disruptive innovation needs to be 10x better than the incumbent solution -Why you should aim to spend 1% of your revenue on innovation -Why buy-in matters for innovation -How diversity of everything leads to the most disruptive innovation -The power of storytelling to shape innovation If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Gut instinct and data-driven approaches are often seen in opposition to one another. But if you want to succeed in your business, you need to marry them. And analytics is one of the best ways to do it. In this episode, Cassidy speaks with Wendy Zajack, Faculty Director & Assistant Professor of the Practice at Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies, about how to use analytics to get the best of both worlds — data and instinct — and increase your marketing success. Wendy is a seasoned marketing professional turned educator, bringing knowledge, creativity, and strategic thinking to life in the classroom to change the marketing and communications industry for the better. She is interested in finding ways to infuse technology to enhance learning and comprehension, leveling the playing field between geographies and genders. She is currently overseeing the development and strategy behind the program curriculum, hiring and recruiting of faculty for two masters of professional studies programs at Georgetown University — Integrated Marketing Communications and the Design Management Communications program. What we talked about: -How COVID is leading to innovation -Why you need to find your customer where they live -How analytics lets you prove your gut with data -The advantages of a multi-generational marketing team -The value of viewpoint diversity -How to hire more diverse employees If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Most business leaders want certainty — you spend X amount of dollars on marketing, you get X in profit. Often, however, the best results come not from certainty, but experimentation. Maybe we should think a little more like scientists. That’s something Talin Koutnouyan, Vice President of Research & Analytics at Influential, has learned in her career. She joins Cassidy in the latest episode to share the secrets to building a culture of experimentation. They discuss: -Why all organizations, big and small, are similar in their pursuit of growth (and mindshare) -Why experimentation is so important in business and marketing -How to cultivate an experimentation culture -The timeless business and marketing principles that don’t require testing -The 4 skills needed to lead an experimentation culture -Why you need to focus on value, not your product -How to be more intentional about your experimentation If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

This is a story about more people having access to more data. It's also a story about a man who was at the right place at the right time to spot an opportunity from the outside. He saw a handful of visionary entrepreneurs who changed the way analytics was done. Back then, it looked terrible. Today, it's his superpower. That man is Tristan Handy, and he's the founder and CEO of Fishtown Analytics. Tristan joined us on the podcast today to talk about the modern data stack, what it looks like, and how to implement it. In this episode, we discuss: -What the modern data stack is and how it replaced the old-school, less-scalable environment -Where the transform happens in the modern data stack -Why this type of change is so tough on companies If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

So many claim they’re data-driven these days, the word has lost its meaning. So, how do you go beyond the buzzword and achieve a truly data-driven approach? Even trickier: How can you take a data-driven approach before you even have the data? These are questions Jaclyn Borgiel answers every day in her role as Group Product Manager here at Narrative Science. She joins Cassidy today to share her approach to answering them, and many others that arise, in the realm of product management. Jaclyn is passionate about growing products and teams, and building their long-term strategies to reach full potential. She has had a diverse mix of experiences across B2B, B2C, high growth, and mature products, but is still an action-oriented problem solver at heart. She has worked as a product leader, analyst, product marketer, and strategic and operational expert — following challenges and purposeful missions, while building great teams. Jaclyn was drawn to Narrative Science’s mission to democratize data for all. After her training in tech at a Silicon Valley Strategy and Analytics rotational program, Narrative Science was the ideal next step on her quest to finally make data work for every business person and scale analytical teams across industries. In this episode, we discuss: -Jaclyn’s career trajectory that led to a passion for product management -What product management is and why it matters -How to make “data-driven” more than a buzzword -How to move past vanity metrics and find success metrics -How to bring a data-driven mindset from the outset, when you have no data -Why intuition comes through experience and observation -What excites Jaclyn about her work on Lexio at Narrative Science -Why data storytelling should be simple and actionable -What the future looks like for data storytelling and product management If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

Every company wants to make their products stronger and many understand how data storytelling can help them behind the scenes. But great storytelling is compelling and human. So, often, sharing those insights with your customers is one of the best ways to improve your product. And nowhere is that more true than in sports. In this episode, Brendan Morley, Senior Technical Digital Product Manager at PGA Tour, breaks down how to use data storytelling behind closed doors as well as right out in the open. Brendan is a talented and accomplished Technical Product Manager with progressive responsibility leading digital initiatives for the PGA TOUR's core group of products. As a perceptive and innovative problem solver, Brendan has developed a number of V1 products. He is able to see complex business needs and processes clearly and form solutions to intractable problems with customer-focused passion. What we talked about: -The growing popularity of golf -The products PGA Tour offer and how data storytelling improves them -The wide range of data use for PGA Tour -The difference between data and data storytelling -How data is shaping the future of the fan experience -How PGA Tour sees scale from a technology perspective If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Leading with Data in your favorite podcast player.

The art of data storytelling isn’t just a nice-to-have function in your business. Effectively communicating data can mean the difference between being honest with regulators and lying to them. And it can even mean the difference between life and death. That realization is one Stephen Harris, Corporate Vice President, Global Head of Data Science & Growth Analytics at Microsoft, learned the hard way as he contemplated whether he or others working on the data at the time could have prevented the Space Shuttle Columbia crash. Data storytelling is your voice. And the right stories are how you get the outcomes you want. Stephen’s 27 years of professional experience are filled with numerous successes. He also promotes transparency in his failures and mistakes as lessons learned and toolkits to accelerate growth. He is an energetic and results-driven leader, able to navigate with precision to assimilate and influence a net positive change in any environment. His insatiable thirst to discover, build understanding, share and foster collaborative dialogue fuels his passion to identify and solve complex business issues. Stephen brings a broad and deep set of strategic and tactical approaches built from his experiences with highly competitive multinational fortune 100/500/1000 corporations, management consulting, tech and public sector. He has successfully led through local, national, and global crisis, (9/11, Space Shuttle Columbia, Katrina) including recent successes with the global COVID-19 pandemic and America’s corporate response and action plan to social injustice for the Black Community. In this episode, we discuss: -How Stephen’s personal life experience has informed and guided his professional experience -Stephen’s experience with Space Shuttle Columbia -The problems with obscure and fragmented data -Tips for aspiring data leaders -How to build a culture willing to receive change If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Leading With Data in your favorite podcast player.

Technology and data are powerful tools that allow your business to see into the future. But prediction sets by themselves don’t solve business needs. They need to get into the hands of the decision makers to be actionable. That’s the number one motivator for Steve Griswold, Senior Data Scientist at US Foods, in his role as a full stack developer in a large enterprise. Steve has a stellar background in programming and an amazing ability to understand complex and robust datasets by meticulously breaking down each portion of the project and returning a highly efficient program that achieves phenomenal results. His successes include enabling a small, six-person team to review 200,000+ images in just a few weeks and automating 20 weekly tasks to allow more time for business analysis and solution enhancement. In this episode, we discuss: -Steve’s background, including how he found out he was already a data scientist -Common misconceptions leaders have when it comes to data science -The ins and outs of full stack development -How US Foods approached, and structured, its data science program -How a data scientist tests hypotheses -Why leaders need to allow their data scientists time for learning and experimentation If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Leading With Data in your favorite podcast player.

Data can fundamentally transform customer experience. The flexibility and power of data opens up a wide array of possibilities for evolving delightful experiences that everyone can enjoy. In today’s episode, Cassidy is joined by JoEllen Kames, Director of Product Design at Narrative Science, to discuss her mission to redefine the way the world interacts with data. Here are a few key takeaways: -The value of human-centered design (and why it’s evolving into the more dynamic “computational design”). -How technology and design work together to create experiences. -How to design for paradigm-shifting innovation (and why Apple’s “home” button was genius). -The implicit beliefs about data and how to overcome them -What the future holds for data and design. If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Narrative Science in your favorite podcast player.

Data quality is rarely considered sexy. But when it comes to all the cool marketing stuff your company wants to do, it should be. Accurate and actionable data unlock your organization’s true marketing potential. That’s one of the key insights Darrell Alfonso, Global Marketing Operations Manager at Amazon Web Services, brings into today’s episode on how marketing data can make a real difference in your organization. Named one of the "Top Martech Marketers to Follow" 2020 by Martech Alliance, Darrell writes about marketing and how to improve your work and your life. Darrell has worked at startups, mid-sized companies, and nonprofits. He’s come to realize that it's about the people, not the platforms - but it's best to keep your eyes on both. In his current role as Global Marketing Operations Manager at Amazon (AWS), Darrell empowers hundreds of marketers to create exceptional digital experiences for their customers. What we talked about: -Working from home & the effect on inclusivity Why you need a niche, particularly a technical one -The evolution of marketing automation -The difference between marketing automation & marketing operations -Why strategy always comes before technology -Why marketers are increasingly innovating tools themselves -Data quality should be a sexier topic -How to bridge the data gap between leadership & the teams executing -The value of simplification for communicating technical information -How to craft content that resonates with your audience -Why it pays to figure out best practices for yourself Check out this resource we mentioned during the podcast: “The Practice” - Seth Godin If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

Even now in the age of remote learning where technology is king, schools have the opportunity to humanize education again. Parents and teachers just have to ask the right questions and look at the right data. Over the course of his career, Keith Westman, COO at Otus and former educator, has learned a thing or two about the intersection of data, analytics, and education. He began his career as a third grade teacher. From there, he moved into a role as Director of Technology at an elementary school, and was last the principal at a middle school in Morton Grove, IL. His background in education fuels his passion for getting the right data and the right platform in the hands of teachers so that they know how and when to intervene with their students. This week, Keith joinus us on the podcast to discuss how data can make education more human and here’s what you’ll learn: - Why smaller, more frequent measurements of students’ progress are more effective than infrequent standardized tests - How having the right data and the right platform can help teachers intervene when needed - How new EdTech can be scaled to reach underserved students - What people are getting wrong with remote learning and the future of education If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

In business, growth is a good thing. But in hypergrowth, you’re growing so fast that every system and process you have breaks in record time. How do you handle that? For Tim O'Keefe, Head of Data Analytics at Canva, it all boils down to culture. With some careful consideration, you can build a culture that can’t be broken (even if everything else is). This week Tim joins our guest host, Stef Cladwell, on the show to share the challenges of heading Data Analytics at one of the fastest growing companies on the planet. What they talked about: -The challenges of hypergrowth -The transition from academia to business -Why culture reigns supreme -How to build a cohesive team (even when that team is growing exponentially) -Why trust is a superpower for getting the best work from your team If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

We’re living through the biggest data storytelling event in history. Worldwide, COVID data is impacting everyone. And it’s proof that data storytelling can be used as a force for good. In this episode, Cassidy is joined by Dan Platt, Senior Principal of Market Innovation here at Narrative Science and the founder of our Data Storytelling for Good Initiative, to discuss how data stories can be used to make the world a better place. The combination of Dan’s background in economics, PR and journalism have culminated in him becoming the unrivaled data storyteller he is today. While getting his graduate degree in journalism from Northwestern University, rather than see advancements in data technology as a threat, he was excited by the potential of harnessing that power to tell better stories and, ultimately, make the world a better place. At Narrative Science, Dan has fulfilled and surpassed these ambitions throughout the evolution of the organization, including spearheading the Data Storytelling for Good Initiative, which empowers non-profit organizations with data tools that allow them to spend more of their time improving the world. As you can see, there is a good reason Dan has the rare honor of being written into a client’s contract as their go-to guy within the company. In this episode, we discuss: -Why journalism has become a valuable degree in tech -The growing public awareness and acceptance of the power of data technology -The client who wrote Dan into their contract -Why Dan wants people to interact with data stories in tools they already use -How to communicate technical information to non-technical people -How to use data storytelling for good -How COVID proves data affects everyone’s life If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

Storytelling is a trait universally shared by human beings. But does that make data storytelling innate or is it a skill we develop? This week, you’ll hear from 3 experts about how they’ve strengthened their data storytelling muscles and how putting it to practice has improved the businesses they’re a part of as well as their careers. Our guests include: Leslie Squires Gimple, Senior Manager, Reporting and Analytics at Rackspace. Having been with the company for about 13 years now, Leslie has risen through the ranks at Rackspace, where she is currently leading the software developers, BI developers, as well as visual analysts. Kimberly Herrington, Data Journalist and Creator of #BuffaloBusinessIntelligence. Kimberly has a wealth of experience getting hands-on with data in the health world, and is excited to find stories in numbers. She stays on top of health analytics trends to create clever data stories and content that bring value to the organization. Sunita Menon, Global Data Executive, Freelance. Sunita is a global executive who has transformed the business using data-driven strategies to achieve productivity, cost savings and revenue growth, while building data-driven organizations, governance and mindsets. This insightful conversation comes from our event, Humanalytics, where we talked about: -What data storytelling means -Whether data storytelling is a skill, talent or business function -How data storytelling drives decisions, insights and actions -The democratization of data and data storytelling -Using data storytelling to build relationships -The difference between data storytelling and data literacy -Data’s role in transparency and diversity and inclusion Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: Charty Party If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

Data strategy in healthcare often feels like it’s stuck in the 1990s. Trying to gather insight is like wandering hopefully along the aisles at Blockbuster rather than using a service as seamless as Netflix. During the global pandemic, some healthcare leaders were even walking hospital floors with clipboards counting COVID patients in beds. Why? Lack of trust in the data and reports created for them. The internal and external motivations for healthcare to take data more seriously have only been accelerated by the impact of COVID-19. As a data leader who started his role as Executive Director of Informatics & Analytics at MemorialCare during the pandemic, Jared Nunes knows a thing or two about building a data strategy that grants trust in healthcare. After gaining clinical experience working in the health system and running his own construction business, Jared joined a healthcare data recording company where he taught himself the technology to shift the company fully online. Over the course of his career, he learned to be nimble — to stay off the bleeding edge but on the cutting edge, as he puts it. In this week’s episode, Jared shares insights from his three decades of work experience in a fun and fantastic conversation about: -Advice for healthcare leaders to learn from other industries -How to build trust in data at your organization and why it’s important -The 4 pillars needed before we can leverage advanced analytics and data science -The strategic initiative of leadership vision (and the 7 goals of MemorialCare) -Demonstrating a vision of what’s possible in healthcare data Hear more and subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

When you arrive somewhere new and you are tasked with overhauling complex and problematic legacy data systems, where do you begin? Well, before you even start to build your strategy, you need to know the business goals you are trying to achieve, have executive support, and understand why past efforts to achieve these goals have failed. This approach is how Robert Emerson, VP and Head of Strategic Data Management at Blue Cross NC, has consistently led teams to tackle some of the toughest data challenges in Healthcare, a complex industry with a dire need for modernization in its data and analytics. As a perceptive, creative, and logical data leader, data scientist, and advanced analytics strategist, Robert prides himself on his ability to effectively communicate with technical and non-technical colleagues alike. Robert earned a PhD in neuroscience, but moved into the healthcare industry shortly thereafter, where he served in a variety of different data and analytics leadership roles. He has led teams to develop, optimize, and automate operations staffing models, and developed strategic data maturity plans. These plans include creating comprehensive cloud migration initiatives, developing dashboards to deliver business insights, harnessing predictive models for proactive decision-making, and integrating machine learning to forecast operations supply and demand. In his current role at Blue Cross NC, Robert is leading the build-out of the organization’s data strategy, overseeing its data management and analytics platform, and building its enterprise and data governance office. He goes above and beyond to ensure that his efforts deliver high-quality data that drives both insights and business outcomes. What we talked about: -The data challenges present in healthcare -Considerations when modernizing complex legacy systems -How business strategy should guide data strategy -The importance of the cloud for modern data and analytics (and the challenges migration present) -How to master your data from the beginning and get it right the first time -The role regulations and privacy concerns play in modernizing data systems -The attributes to look for when hiring for your teams -The important role diversity of thought plays in any team -Why data leaders need to stop underestimating the need for change management If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

Unfortunately, not everybody thinks like a data scientist. Your leadership team doesn’t care about your fancy tech or the cool way you found the answers, they just care about the answers they need to move the business forward. That’s why when you tell them a data story, you need to make sure you’re speaking their language. That’s just one of the insights that helped today’s guest, Alexander Soria, Vice President of Data & Analytics at Mindbody, move up the ladder in his analytics career. Before joining Mindbody, Alex focused on strategic analysis to help decision-making for future projects, programs, promotions, and executive decisions when working with companies including Zappos, Vancouver Analytics Group, and Elicit. At Mindbody, he has moved into a strategic data-position where his focus shifted from being solely centered on data science to also include data engineers, business intelligence, business analysts, and data governance. This holistic approach has given him a deep appreciation and understanding of the entire data pipeline. What we talked about: -Why data teams should be Switzerland in any organization and remain neutral -How to get executive buy-in (and funding) for large data projects -How to get the right people in the right positions -Why diversity of thought is essential for a thriving team -The qualities that make a great analytics leader -Why data storytelling requires a learn-by-doing approach -What a future where data is heavily regulated means for data leaders If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

When you use data to tell a story, you’re engaging in something fundamentally human. Narrative, meaning, communication — stories are what separate us from the other animals. And as data leaders, we need to always put the human front-and-center in our approach. That’s one of the many pieces of sage wisdom Guy Levy-Yurista, Chief Strategy Officer at Sisense, shared in the latest episode of Leading with Data. And Guy should know — he might just be the most interesting man in the world. He’s an executive leader and product and technology expert with over 25 years of experience in Fortune 500 startups and venture capital environments. He's been successful in developing and driving strategies to launch and strengthen product portfolios, increase revenue and profit, and improve competitive market positioning. Guy’s led 2 startups through liquidity events within 4 years. He has in-depth knowledge of emerging technologies and enterprise B2B, mobile communications and cybersecurity. And, of course, he is currently Chief Strategy Officer at one of the world's most innovative and fastest growing companies, Sisense, which is currently valued at over a billion dollars. What we talked about: -Putting the human at the center of technology -How a good leader earns their teams’ loyalty -The 3 elements necessary for analytics -The revolutions in AI, machine learning, and quantum computing shaping the future of analytics -How data storytelling taps into the core of what it means to be human If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.

As a CDO, showing leadership the impact your work has on the business is critical. Data-driven business outcomes are essential to the future of your role, as well as the future of the company. So, it’s best to demonstrate your effectiveness right off the bat. To do that, though, takes a few insights. In this episode, Shwetank Kumar — CDO at Freedom Financial Network and Founder of Bayesian — shares expert tips for data leaders demonstrating their impact on businesses. Plus, we talk about… - Best hiring practices for a data team - How Shwetank’s academic past informs his role in business - The challenges of experimentation at companies with a lot of red tape - The future of AI and open source technologies If you want to hear more, subscribe to Leading with Data on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or here.