storytelling with data podcast: #89 putting the art in chart with Nadieh Bremer
Data storyteller Alex talks with Nadieh Bremer, an award-winning data visualization practitioner, about her new book, Chart: Designing Creative Data Visualizations from Charts to Art. Nadieh talks about her data visualization journey, from losing passion while creating dashboards to finding joy as she pushed the boundaries of data art. During this journey, she shares her tips for becoming a freelancer, suggestions for adding creativity to your work, and discusses the difference between data viz and data art. Tune in to learn Nadieh’s process for creating a visual and hear her advice on how to be more creative with your work.Follow Nadieh: website | Instagram | LinkedInBook: Chart: designing creative data visualizations from charts to artNadieh’s creations that were mentioned during the episodePatchwork KingdomsGenCoopAdyen’s Shareholder ReportWhy do cats and dogs…?Olympic feathers
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storytelling with data podcast: #88: swimmer, startup, storyteller with fares ksebati
In this founder series edition of the storytelling with data podcast, Randy sits down poolside in Antalya, Turkey with Fares Ksebati—CEO and founder of MySwimPro, YouTube creator, and author of Swim Like a Pro and How Not to Drown. From humble beginnings as a walk-on college swimmer to building one of the world’s most recognized swim coaching platforms, Fares shares the behind-the-scenes journey of scaling a global remote company, navigating the tech startup ecosystem, and staying relentlessly curious along the way.They talk about what it means to democratize swimming, using storytelling to build product and community, and how AI and human connection will shape the future of sport. Fares opens up about teaching his mom to swim at 62, launching MySwimPro with zero funding, and the lessons learned from crashing his app right after being named App of the Year by Apple. It’s a candid, inspiring conversation about growth—personal, professional, and everything in between.Check out Fares’s work:swim like a pro the best swimming app myswimpro.comYouTube: MySwimProLinkedIn: Fares Ksebati
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storytelling with data podcast: #87: the founder’s journey: From Lagos to Zurich to AI-Powered Insights
In this second installment of our new podcast series, The Founder’s Journey, we sit down with Odun Odubanjo, CEO and founder of Insight7, a platform making qualitative data instantly actionable.Odun’s story starts in Lagos, Nigeria, where a chance internship at Google Zurich opened a door that would eventually lead to founding multiple startups, scaling a business across Africa, working at Shopify in Canada, and launching Insight7 in the U.S. Today, Odun helps organizations turn qualitative data—from customer calls to interviews—into meaningful business insights.In this episode, Randy and Odun talk about:The surprising power of staying in touchLessons learned building startups in Africa and breaking into new marketsHow Insight7 helps teams unlock the hidden value in their qualitative dataThe power of storytelling as a founder, including a “holy moly” moment with a new customerNavigating the AI revolution and how tools like ChatGPT and Claude are reshaping the way we build, communicate, and leadOdun also shares his perspective on why now is the best time to be alive—and to start something new. Tune in and be inspired by the story of a founder who’s innovating across continents and categories.Learn more about Insight7 at insight7.ioConnect with Odun on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/odunodu
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storytelling with data podcast: #86: speak so others listen
Want to speak in a way that makes others want to listen? In this episode, Cole dives into the art of confident communication—how to eliminate filler words, command attention with your voice and body language, and project confidence even when you don’t feel it. She shares real-world strategies from working with high schoolers, future business leaders, and university students, plus personal lessons learned in her career. Whether you’re preparing for a big presentation, an important meeting, or simply want to improve how you communicate every day, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways to help you speak with clarity and impact.Related links:Children’s book: Daphne Draws DataTeach kids: Daphne’s Data Detectives ProgramWorksheet: the story of youBook: storytelling with you: plan, create, & deliver a stellar presentationLondon event (Apr 27): Daphne Draws DataLondon event (Apr 28): storytelling and presenting with data masterclassPreorder! storytelling with data: before & afterPlush Daphne on Amazon and in storytellingwithdata.com/shop (enter PODCAST10 for 10% off)Many more resources at storytellingwithdata.com
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storytelling with data podcast: #85 what founders can teach us about storytelling & resilience
NEW SERIES: The Founder’s Journey – Stories of Building, Scaling & StorytellingWe’re launching something new on thestorytelling with data podcast! In this special series, we’ll sit down with founders who are building something remarkable—diving into their journeys, the lessons they’ve learned, and the storytelling strategies that fuel their success.In this episode, Randy is joined by Doni Priliandi, founder of HappyFive, an employee engagement and performance management platform. Doni’s path is one of persistence, risk-taking, and strategic storytelling. From cold-emailing Google’s Laszlo Bock to hopping on a last-minute flight from Jakarta to Silicon Valley, Doni’s story is filled with bold moves and valuable insights. He shares how being an underdog can be a superpower, why storytelling is crucial for founders, and the lessons he’s learned while expanding into the U.S. market.Whether you're an entrepreneur, a leader, or simply someone looking for inspiration, this episode offers a fascinating look at the intersection of data, storytelling, and startup success.Related Links:Check out Happy5's performance management software platformLink up with Doni on LNKDRead Work Rules by Laszlo Bock
Rid your world of ineffective graphs and mediocre presentations, one exploding 3D pie chart at a time! The storytelling with data podcast from bestselling author, speaker and workshop guru, Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic covers topics related to data storytelling, better presentations, and all things data viz.
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