# Data Viz Today Helping you become a more effective information designer. You want to create effective data visualizations. That's hard work. There are so many decisions to make, like chart type, annotations, and color! Will this podcast help? Host and fellow data viz designer Alli Torban is in the trenches with you. She shares the latest tools and methods that she's discovered while on the job and interviewing top designers. If you're an analyst, journalist, or designer who wants to hone your skills with… Page: Feed: --- ## [101: Leaders don't need more data, they need interpretation — Featuring Morgan Depenbusch](https://dataviztoday.com/shownotes/101) _2026-03-17_ Do you think your job is just to present the data? In this episode, we talk about why reporting numbers isn't enough and why your interpretation, context, and framing matter when communicating with leaders. Our guest, Morgan Depenbusch, is a data storytelling and data visualization expert who studies how insights influence people and decisions. Let's get to the show! Show notes:… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dataviztoday/101_Morgan_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=666037) ## [100!!! Pick your dataviz aggregation by asking: What's the decision? — Featuring Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic & Mike Cisneros](https://dataviztoday.com/shownotes/100) _2025-12-18_ When it comes to aggregating your data in your charts, it's hard to know what's overkill and what your reader actually needs. Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic and Mike Cisneros have an interesting approach where they want you to start with thinking about your audience and what decisions they need to make based on the chart, and anchor yourself there first. Then the design decisions become easier after… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dataviztoday/100_Cole_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=666037) ## [99: You Can Make Better BANs! — Featuring Steve Wexler](https://dataviztoday.com/shownotes/99) _2025-11-20_ Have you ever thrown a giant number at the top of your dashboard and hoped it did… something? Steve Wexler (yes, the guy who coined the term BAN, or Big Ass Number) joins me to teach you how to turn those big numbers into meaningful, context-rich moments that will make your user celebrate or panic (in a useful way!). Show notes: https://dataviztoday.com/shownotes/99 [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dataviztoday/99_Wexler_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=666037) ## [98: How to Hold Your Own in Stakeholder Discussions (even as a novice) — Featuring Bill Shander](https://dataviztoday.com/shownotes/98) _2025-09-30_ In this episode, I'm joined by Bill Shander to talk about how to hold your own in stakeholder discussions in dataviz projects, even if you're just starting out. He shares practical techniques from his new book Stakeholder Whispering , including how to build credibility, ask better questions, and stay grounded when opinions fly. If you've ever felt overwhelmed in a stakeholder meeting, this one's… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dataviztoday/98_Shander_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=666037) ## [97: How to Land Your First Data Job with the SPN Method — Featuring Avery Smith](https://dataviztoday.com/shownotes/97) _2025-09-22_ In this episode, I'm joined by Avery Smith to talk about how to actually land a data job right now without getting ghosted by resume bots. He shares his SPN method: Skills, Portfolio, Networking. We get into how to build just enough skills, why personal projects matter way more than you think, and how to reach out without being weird. If you're job hunting (or might be soon), this one's for you.… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dataviztoday/96_Avery_Smith.mp3?dest-id=666037) ## [96: NEXT QUESTION: A New Game to Hone Your Data Storytelling Expertise — Featuring Kat Greenbrook](https://dataviztoday.com/shownotes/96) _2024-12-03_ In this episode, I'm trying out a brand-new game called Next Question to help you sharpen your data storytelling skills by exploring the kinds of clarifying questions experts ask when facing challenges. I'm joined by Kat Greenbrook, author of The Data Storyteller's Handbook , and together we tackle real-world scenarios and share what questions we'd ask to steer data storytelling projects in the… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dataviztoday/96_Kat_Greenbrook.mp3?dest-id=666037) ## [95: You Need to Try Something New to Be Someone New](https://dataviztoday.com/shownotes/95) _2024-05-29_ In this episode, I share the introduction of my book, Chart Spark , to inspire you to take the first steps towards a more fulfilling career, whether you're trying to transition into dataviz or integrate more creativity into your work. I'll redefine what creativity means, share why you need it in your dataviz work, show you how to cultivate a powerful creative practice, and finally, I share my… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dataviztoday/95_audiobook_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=666037) ## [94: How to Give More Confident Data Presentations (even if you're an introvert) — Featuring Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic](https://dataviztoday.com/shownotes/94) _2024-04-18_ There's no way around it: If you can speak confidently about your dataviz work to other people, you'll make a bigger impact. But you're shy, nervous, an introvert, and not a natural speaker! That's ok. You CAN learn this skill. Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, a data storytelling expert, best-selling author, and CEO of Storytelling with Data, joins us today to share how to identify and fix those pesky… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dataviztoday/Cole_Knaflic_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=666037) ## [93: How to Leverage Sports Analytics for a Standout Dataviz Portfolio — Featuring Shri Khalpada](https://dataviztoday.com/shownotes/93) _2024-03-29_ Are you looking for ways to make your work stand out in a crowded industry, like sports? Or maybe looking for a topic with pretty clean data to create a portfolio project? In today's episode, we're chatting with Shri Khalpada , a D.C. area creative coder and Principal Software Engineer at Cleaning the Glass , which is an NBA analytics website founded by Ben Faulk that's available to the public and… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dataviztoday/93_shri_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=666037) ## [Zuverlässiges Hosting, Domains, Server (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/zQlFSl1VzMij) _2024-03-29 · **Sponsored**_ Zuverlässige Infrastruktur, niedrige Preise und skalierbare Server für deinen Webauftritt. ## [BONUS: Insider Tips for Publishing Your First Dataviz Book](https://blog.elevatedataviz.com/behind-the-scenes-elevate-dataviz-show-20/) _2024-02-28_ Are you ready to write a book? Or maybe see it in your future down the road? Well, I spent hours and hours researching the book publishing process, spoke with tons of authors about their experience, and then lived through it myself. I want to save you some time and share what I learned. Recently I shared all about the process with the Elevate Dataviz Learning Community that I co-founded and I'm… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dataviztoday/BONUS_behind_the_scenes_book_writing_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=666037)