Chris Dalla Riva is a musician, data analyst, and the author of Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us about the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves. In this episode, he joins data storyteller Mike Cisneros to talk about musical myths, hidden industry incentives, chart data, and underappreciated hits, as well as the thorny questions about authenticity, categorization, and what it really means to tell an honest story with numbers.

RELATED LINKS

• Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us about the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves | Chris Dalla Riva’s book 

• Can’t Get Much Higher | Chris’s newsletter

• Audiomack | Music streaming service where Chris works on analytics and personalization

• Max Martin Knows How to Create a #1 Hit | Chris’s The Economist article on song intros

• Suno AI | Generative AI tool for music creation discussed in the authenticity segment

• Follow Chris at @cdallarivam

SONGS AND ARTISTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• “Want Ads” by Honey Cone
• “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals
• “Hey Jude” by The Beatles
• “Blinded by the Light” (written by Bruce Springsteen, recorded by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band)
• “Dancing in the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen
• “When Doves Cry” by Prince
• “Believe” by Cher
• “Golden” by HUNTR/X

In this episode of the storytelling with data podcast, Simon chats with Allison Horst—developer advocate at Observable, educator, and beloved data illustrator—to explore the difference between dashboards that get used and those that don’t.

They dig into why so many data products go to waste, the importance of co-creating with your audience, and the overlooked power of early feedback. Allison reflects on her experiences helping people go from "I built this thing" to "This actually gets used"—and how teams can better collaborate to avoid dashboard graveyards.

Along the way, they talk about environmental storytelling, visual metaphors, teaching the “gray areas” of data viz, and why curiosity (not perfection) is the key to lasting impact.

Related Links:

• Check out Allison's work at: https://allisonhorst.com/
• Connect with and follow her on LNKD: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-horst/
• Order SWD's latest book, Before & After https://www.storytellingwithdata.com/books

Data visualization veteran Andy Cotgreave joins host Mike Cisneros for a lively, wide-ranging conversation about the evolution of dashboards, the craft of data communication, and the future of generative AI in analytics. Andy reflects on his early career building “dashboards” in Excel for a demanding boss, how that experience shaped two bestselling books (The Big Book of Dashboards and Dashboards That Deliver), and what he’s learned from more than a decade at Tableau as an evangelist and public speaker.

They discuss the tension between efficiency and emotion in chart design, why no single chart type is ever “right,” and how semantic drift affects the way we talk about dashboards. Andy shares behind-the-scenes stories from Chart Chat, the Iron Viz competition, and his own evolution as a presenter and magician, offering tips for building confidence on stage and connecting with audiences.

Along the way, the conversation touches on the launch of Cole, Mike and Alex’ newest book, the fifth in the storytelling with data series, Before and After, upcoming in-person and on-demand learning opportunities, and the importance of community, practice, and curiosity in becoming a better data storyteller.

Related Links:

• Check out Andy's Books: ⁠Dashboards That Deliver⁠ and ⁠The Big Book of Dashboards ⁠
• Register for upcoming ⁠workshops and courses⁠⁠

• Order Before and After⁠⁠

• Follow ⁠@storywithdata⁠ | share via ⁠#SWDpodcast

Asking good questions can help improve our own and others’ work: both when exploring and explaining data. In this rebroadcast of episode 19, Cole covers five smart queries to pose and answer during the analytical process and five more to consider when getting ready to explain that data to others.

We’re sharing this popular episode again as we look ahead to what’s next: Before and After, the fifth book from storytelling with data, comes out September 23, 2025 — pre-order now wherever you buy books!

If you want to put these strategies into practice, join one of our upcoming 2025 sessions:

• Virtual half-day workshops: August 21 and November 6

• 8-week online course: September 15–November 9

• In-person workshop in NYC: October 14

Links:

• Register for upcoming ⁠workshops and courses⁠

• Pre-order Before and After

• Questions? email ⁠[email protected]⁠

• Follow ⁠@storywithdata⁠ | share via ⁠#SWDpodcast

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 | LinkedIn

• Book: Chart: designing creative data visualizations from charts to art

• Nadieh’s creations that were mentioned during the episode

  • Patchwork Kingdoms

  • GenCoop

  • Adyen’s Shareholder Report

  • Why do cats and dogs…?

  • Olympic feathers

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.com

YouTube: MySwimPro


LinkedIn: Fares Ksebati

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 touch

• Lessons learned building startups in Africa and breaking into new markets

• How Insight7 helps teams unlock the hidden value in their qualitative data

• The power of storytelling as a founder, including a “holy moly” moment with a new customer

• Navigating the AI revolution and how tools like ChatGPT and Claude are reshaping the way we build, communicate, and lead

Odun 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.io

• Connect with Odun on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/odunodu

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 Data

• Teach kids: Daphne’s Data Detectives Program

• Worksheet: the story of you

• Book: storytelling with you: plan, create, & deliver a stellar presentation

• London event (Apr 27): Daphne Draws Data

• London event (Apr 28): storytelling and presenting with data masterclass

• Preorder! storytelling with data: before & after

• Plush Daphne on Amazon and in storytellingwithdata.com/shop (enter PODCAST10 for 10% off)
• Many more resources at storytellingwithdata.com

NEW SERIES: The Founder’s Journey – Stories of Building, Scaling & Storytelling

We’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 platform

Link up with Doni on LNKD

Read Work Rules by Laszlo Bock

Time is a finite resource, so how do you make the most of it? Cole is joined by her husband, Randy, for a conversation on the art of getting things done, both in business and in life. From balancing busy work schedules to managing a family of five, they share their strategies for prioritization, productivity, and focus. They break down their individual approaches—covering automation, delegation, scheduling, and the power of saying no—to create more space for what truly matters. Packed with practical insights, this episode will help you reclaim time and boost your productivity.

Related links:

• Follow Randy: LinkedIn | Twitter
• Daphne Draws Data
• Episode 13 goals like Google
• London masterclass