storytelling with data
97 episodes listed below
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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.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
It connects chart design to the business decisions, stakeholder relationships, and habits that determine whether data communication actually works.
storytelling with data podcast treats charts and dashboards as working parts of a business: tools shaped by audience needs, organizational habits, and the decisions they support.
The dashboard you built isn't dead; it may just need someone to remind the team where answers live.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
The strongest data talks start before a single slide is built.
Planning a presentation is treated as a communication choice, not a formatting chore. Cole starts with a familiar January habit of setting calendars, goals, and work priorities, then applies that same discipline to presentations: think ahead, shape the story on purpose, and give…
A grounded look at creativity in data visualization, with chart choices doing the heavy lifting.
Creativity here is treated as a skill people can notice and practice, not some rare gift handed out at birth. The discussion starts with a personal anecdote about a daughter's self portrait, then stays close to the craft of data visualization.
A measured conversation about insight, judgment, and AI as a tool rather than a replacement.
The conversation centers on Alberto Cairo's new book, The Art of Insight, and treats data as something that should communicate, not merely display.
A practical reminder to ask better questions before the numbers get too loud.
Storytelling with Data #90 revisits an early episode to underscore a simple lesson: better communication starts with better questions. Mike Cisneros frames the rebroadcast as a look back at the show’s early days, and the structure stays clear, moving through five questions for…
A founder story that links resilience to customer listening and product flexibility.
The episode treats founder storytelling as more than branding. It uses that frame to show how a company thinks, sells, and grows, with the strongest material coming from the operating details: the last-minute Jakarta-to-San Francisco pitch trip, the push into the U.S.
Chris Dalariva makes technical music writing feel plainspoken and easy to follow.
Chris Dalariva comes across as someone who moves easily between music, analysis, writing, and social media. His work at AudioMac gives him a practical angle on how people find and use music, and the newsletter and posts extend that same outlook in a more public way.
A practical, unflashy look at confidence that treats speaking nerves as something you can actually work on.
Randy and Cole spend the episode on a simple point: sounding confident is less about having it figured out and more about doing the work before you speak.
A grounded look at why visual standards only work when people actually use them.
The episode looks at how structure can free people to focus on the message instead of the formatting. It moves through branding choices like logos, colors, fonts, and slide templates, then lands on the messier part: keeping a data visualization style guide alive once it leaves…
Range trade talk for firearm instructors.
Clinical CE for busy veterinary teams.
Cole talks with Nathan Yau, the creator of Flowing Data, about the second edition of Visualize This and why his process has shifted since the 2010–2011 examples in the first book.
Cole of Storytelling with Data focuses this episode on speaking so other people want to listen, using examples from a third-grade parent-teacher conference, a piano competition, and a workshop with 17 high school seniors.
A keynote in Amsterdam kicks off the episode.
Cole describes “Statio” as a meditative pause and applies it to data work, from the manager meeting to the final presentation.
Storytelling with Data podcast episode #76 focuses on delivering presentations with more confidence, especially for introverts and analytical people.
Randy welcomes Odun Odubanjo to the Founders series.
Cole Nisbomber-Naflik opens with his fourth grader Avery’s Harry Houdini board game, “Help Houdini,” as a concrete example of choosing a format that fits the audience.
Randy hosts Ferris Sabati, YouTube personality and MySwimPro founder, at a company retreat in Antalya, Turkey.
Storytelling with Data Podcast Episode 75 features Kat Greenbrook, founder of Rogue Penguin and author of The Data Storyteller's Handbook.
Host Mike interviews Heather Krause about data equity, exploring how all data collection and analysis involves choices that prioritize certain perspectives and impact real lives—debunking the myth that quantitative work can be value-neutral.
Randy opens a special founder series on the Storytelling with Data podcast.
Mike opens with warm praise for Alberto Cairo's new book, The Art of Insight.
Simon traces a banking analytics project where a modern reporting rebuild initially drew negative business feedback because access to familiar metrics changed.
Cole begins with January planning at home and at Storytelling with Data, then connects that habit to presentation planning as a way to set up success.
Cole keeps coming back to practice.
Cole from Storytelling with Data connects everyday objects to data visualization, starting with doors, packaging, and wrapping paper as examples of design that either guides or frustrates people.
Cole talks about Daphne Draws Data, a Storytelling with Data book about a dragon who turns information into pictures, and says the project includes a graph glossary, bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, and scatterplots.
Mike Cisneros opens from Milwaukee and revisits a favorite early episode from the show’s run.
Simon starts with the idea that structure can free people up, then ties that thinking to branding and data visualization.
Cole shares practical insights on how standing up enhances creativity, concision, and presentation skills.
Alex opens with a comparison between elevator music and a live concert to frame the episode’s central idea.
Mike talks with Chris Dalariva about the overlap between music, analysis, and storytelling.
Mike Cisneros talks with Andy Cockgreave about dashboards, data communication, and the choices that make a visual actually useful.
Cole and Randy use "Storytelling with Data podcast: #84 mastering time" to compare two working systems: Cole's ongoing list and Randy's daily one-sheet with "today," "week," "Storytelling with data," "Cole," and "advisory" buckets.
Cole divides undesirable feedback into five categories, starting with silence, vague comments like "it's missing something," and requests for more specific input.
The conversation opens with a child’s self portrait and the uneasy habit of taking away your own creative credit.
Alex opens with a medical intake example, saying he spent almost 20 minutes on an online patient questionnaire and then answered the same questions again at the appointment.
Amy shares a personal story about learning to present data effectively to a marketing manager, highlighting the importance of audience-aware data storytelling.
Mike and Alex discuss considerations for using light vs dark backgrounds in data visualizations and slides, based on audience needs.
Cole reflects on the value of in-person work and travel for creativity, then introduces a masterclass experience in London.
The host uses a personal story about learning to make sourdough bread to illustrate the importance of understanding the 'why' behind advice, drawing parallels to data storytelling.
Mike and Elizabeth discuss the importance of audience and context in data storytelling, and how to deliver a message that contradicts audience expectations.
Cole interviews Elijah Meeks about data visualization as a design and communication problem, following his keynote at the Tapestry Conference.
Host Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic interviews Andy Kreebel and Eva Murray about their book Makeover Monday, discussing data visualization, feedback, and career benefits.
Cole shares her family's move from San Francisco to Milwaukee and draws parallels to data storytelling.
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic shares a replay of her appearance on the Data Stories podcast, discussing data visualization and storytelling.
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic discusses common myths and rules in data visualization, emphasizing the importance of foundational skills and when to flex the rules.