Data are Sexy Podcast

Imagine being able to express complex ideas and findings effortlessly, capturing your audience's attention and leaving a lasting impression. The language of data visualization is your gateway to achieving this. It's not just about creating charts; it's about crafting narratives that resonate with your viewers, helping them understand and connect with the data on a deeper level. Starting with this episode, we are going to show you the skills necessary to become a master communicator through visuals, making your data-driven insights more accessible and engaging.Resources/Sources cited in this episode:Leonardo da Vinci – RCIN 912660, Studies of Water c. 1510-12. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository.Solar system planets size comparison. Author: Lsmpascal, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tarakenyonphd.substack.com

Imagine having a unique skill, a lens through which you can see beyond the numbers and spreadsheets, where data become not just a series of digits, but a map to understanding your business, your industry, and your customers. This episode should revolutionize your perspective on data. You'll see how data can be your most potent tool for informed decision-making.Key Point: Recognize the role of data as valuable assets for informed decision-makingIf you want more information on Dr. John Snow, visit this Wikipedia link. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tarakenyonphd.substack.com

All businesses want to find some way to differentiate themselves from their competition. You are overwhelmed, and your customers are overwhelmed, too. The data you have on hand today speaks volumes about becoming and staying relevant to your customers. It is the analytics behind that data that will cut through all the noise competing with you and your value proposition.In this episode, I provide a tip for helping you compete with analytics, differentiate with analytics, and best of all, dominate with analytics.Sources cited: Crawford, F. A., & Mathews, R. (2001). The Myth of Excellence: Why Great Companies Never Try to Be the Best at Everything (1st ed.). New York: Crown Business.Kleiner, A. (2003). Who Really Matters: The Core Group Theory of Power, Privilege, and Success (1st ed.). New York: Currency/Doubleday. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tarakenyonphd.substack.com

Here’s a data point for you: How about something that promises that 74% of the value of an initiative is realized in the first year of roll-out?To achieve this, it’s important to understand that traditional strategic planning is failing us—and always has. The process never seems to deliver all that it promises at the beginning. Chances are that you have already undertaken the creation of a strategic plan in the traditional sense, but you are stuck. Today’s episode gives you a way to manage your strategic initiatives, create quick wins and minimize losses – turning data into money.Sources cited: “The Numbers Behind Successful Transformations” by Kevin Laczkowshi, Tao Tan, and Matthias Winter. McKinsey Quarterly (17 October 2019). https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/transformation/our-insights/the-numbers-behind-successful-transformationsTrout, J., & Rivkin, S. (1999). The Power of Simplicity: a Management Guide to Cutting Through the Nonsense and Doing Things Right. New York: McGraw-Hill.Keller, G., & Papasan, J. (2013). The ONE Thing: the Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results. Austin, Texas: Bard Press.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tarakenyonphd.substack.com

Think about this: The canaries placed in coal mines aren’t there to mine coal.On the business side of your organization, your rising stars and key talent typically aren’t the ones mining data and performing data analyses. Rather, they are learning your market and your product and service offerings. With a few extra skills and coaching, they can become a sentinel species for detecting risks to your business and provide advance warning of dangers and better, provide predictive indicators for your business potential.In this episode, I illustrate how business executives can learn to attract and retain their rising stars without threatening established managers and executives in their succession plans. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tarakenyonphd.substack.com

"You are Wonder Woman, and Data [are] Your Magic Lasso."If there was ever a metaphor I wish I had thought up myself, it's that one. It came from presentation and speaking coach Joel Schwartzberg in his Harvard Business Review article entitled, “Present Your Data Like a Pro.” Joel Schwartzberg's article Joel, being the expert presentations coach that he is, shows the importance of explaining how data supports the major points of a presentation. Data, like Wonder Woman's lasso, are "𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭[s] 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘴..."In this episode, I’m going to show you how data draw out compelling truths and give you a few actionable tips for using DIVA – that’s the acronym for Data Insights, Visualization, and Analytics—and knowing what to ask from your data team. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tarakenyonphd.substack.com

This episode delivers a four-step process to create value for your company, excellence for your strategies, and as always, a way to turn data into money.And here’s an introduction to that process – it is grounded in four laws:The Law of IntentThe Law of InsightThe Law of IntervalsThe Law of IntegrationYou can find episodes dedicated to each of these Laws in future Data are Sexy podcasts.Source data: “Combining motivational and volitional interventions to promote exercise participation: Protection motivation theory and implementation intentions” by Sarah Milne, Sheina Orbell, and Paschal Sheeran. British Journal of Health Psychology (16 December 2010).“Project Management Statistics: Trends and Common Mistakes in 2022,” TeamStage.“The Numbers Behind Successful Transformations” by Kevin Laczkowshi, Tao Tan, and Matthias Winter. McKinsey Quarterly  (17 October 2019). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tarakenyonphd.substack.com

Are you a DIVA? I'm not talking about the hair flip, glamorous, “don’t-you-know-who-I-am?” type of diva. DIVA is an acronym for “Data Insights, Visualization, and Analytics.” The Macmillan dictionary defines glamorous as “attractive and interesting in an exciting and unusual way.”Think of how much you could communicate to your Board, your team, your regulators, and your stakeholders IF you could present your company’s data in as “attractive and interesting in an exciting and unusual way.”And I'd like to define “DIVA” as such as well. The bottom line is: If you want to turn data into money, you need to be a DIVA.#datainsights #datavisualization #dataanalytics #diva This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tarakenyonphd.substack.com

Today’s podcast is all about the Magic of Analytics. Specifically, it is about you, the non-technical business leader, and how to get your investment in data to pay off.I've included three little tips to use when you are looking at your own data. And I’ll give you these tips with the backdrop of the three types of Data Analytics:  Descriptive, Predictive, and Prescriptive. The tips are questions you ask yourself (or of those reporting the data):What is this?What does it mean?What must I do?Extra resources: The Art of the Longview by Peter Schwartz This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tarakenyonphd.substack.com

If you do a search on the word “sexy” on this podcast platform, beware of what you’ll find. I would further recommend that you save the search at a time when small children aren’t present!Of course, I named this podcast “Data are Sexy” for a reason. It got your attention, didn’t it? Today, I’m going to talk about the most controversial word in the phrase “data are sexy” – and it’s not the one you think it is.#datainsights #datavisualization #dataanalytics This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tarakenyonphd.substack.com

Are you among the business leaders that often ask their data analysts to "mine the data and tell me something interesting."? (See "I have data. I need insights. Where do I start? by Rama Ramakrishnan Rama's article )Ramakrishnan says it's because business leaders are under pressure to show some ROI from all the money that's been spent on systems to collect, store, and organize the data. I submit that there are actually three separate reasons why you may be doing this:You need to know that all this investment in hardware, software, and HR isn’t a cruel version of the Emporer’s New Clothes.You may not know what to ask for.You may be afraid of what you might find.Get the most out of your data investment by instructing your teams to solve very specific problems. Magic happens. You can reach Tara Kenyon at TaraKenyon.com . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tarakenyonphd.substack.com

Join Dr. Tara Kenyon as she explores why data and analytics are important to the non-technical business leader and turn data into money. You can reach Tara Kenyon at TaraKenyon.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tarakenyonphd.substack.com