Mavens of Data

Cleaning Dirty Data: You Can't Analyze What You Don't Trust (w/ Susan Walsh)

Dirty data isn't just an annoyance; it's a hidden tax on your entire business. From dashboards no one trusts, to AI models trained on flawed inputs, to analysts spending hours fixing the same problems over and over again, poor data quality quietly drains time, money, and confidence. In this episode of Mavens of Data, we're joined by Susan Walsh [https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanewalsh/] (data quality expert and The Classification Guru!) to unpack what "dirty data" actually looks like in the real world. We talk through the most common types of dirty data, the downstream problems they cause across analytics, AI, and operations, and Susan's COAT framework for tackling data quality in a way that actually sticks. This isn't about perfection or endless clean-up projects; it's about building smarter processes, preventing problems at the source, and saving yourself (and your team) countless hours down the line. Whether you're an analyst, data engineer, analytics leader, or just someone tired of fixing the same broken fields every week, this conversation will change how you think about data quality. What You'll Learn: * The most common (and most expensive) types of dirty data * Why dirty data is a business process problem, not a tooling problem * Susan's COAT framework and how to apply it in practice * How small design choices (like dropdowns) can prevent massive downstream issues * Real-world horror stories and how they could have been avoided 🤝 Follow Susan on LinkedIn! [https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanewalsh/] Register for free to be part of the next live session: https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b [https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b] Follow us on Socials: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/maven-analytics] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@MavenAnalytics] Instagram (Mavens of Data) [https://www.instagram.com/mavensofdata/] Instagram (Maven Analytics) [https://www.instagram.com/mavenanalytics] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@mavenanalytics] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/mavenanalytics] Medium [https://medium.com/learning-data] X/Twitter [https://twitter.com/MavenBI]

Winning With Data Science: Real Case Studies That Actually Moved the Needle (w/ Howard Friedman)

In this episode of Mavens of Data, we sit down with Howard Friedman [https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-friedman-590ba8/], author of "Winning with Data Science", educator, and practitioner, who has spent years helping organizations turn messy data problems into measurable business wins. We explore the models and decision frameworks used to identify where data science can create the biggest lift inside an organization, from data infrastructure and modeling to reporting, training, and software validation. If you've ever wondered what effective data science looks like in the real world, this episode is your playbook! What You'll Learn: We'll break down three high-impact, real-world transformations: 1. Site Selection Modeling That Eliminated Costly Mistakes * How one company improved its revenue forecasts and stopped expensive cannibalization across its retail locations. Howard will walk through what went wrong, how the right product requirements were defined, and what factors were the turning point in improving the forecasts. 2. Loyalty Program Analytics That Drove Double-Digit Growth * 1M+ loyalty members, but the organization wasn't sure how to monetize them. Learn how cross-functional collaboration and analysis led to targeted offers, higher engagement, and the reactivation of 50,000+ dormant accounts. 3. LLM Automation in Healthcare - Cutting Documentation Time in Half * Howare will tell us about a machine-learning use case at one healthcare company reduced documentation time by 2.5X while maintaining 97% accuracy, freeing clinicians to focus on patients, not forms. These case studies highlight how data science becomes a profit center, not just a technical function. 🤝 Follow Howard on LinkedIn! [https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-friedman-590ba8/] Register for free to be part of the next live session: https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b [https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b] Follow us on Socials: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/maven-analytics] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@MavenAnalytics] Instagram (Mavens of Data) [https://www.instagram.com/mavensofdata/] Instagram (Maven Analytics) [https://www.instagram.com/mavenanalytics] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@mavenanalytics] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/mavenanalytics] Medium [https://medium.com/learning-data] X/Twitter [https://twitter.com/MavenBI]

What an Insight Really Is & The Art of Data Storytelling (w/ Brent Dykes)

Most organizations are drowning in dashboards, KPIs, and visualizations, but starving for insights. In this episode of Mavens of Data, we'll chat with Brent Dykes [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentdykes/], Founder of AnalyticsHero and author of Effective Data Storytelling, to break down one of the biggest misconceptions in analytics: a chart is not a story, and a data point is not an insight. Whether you're a data scientist, business analyst, product manager, or analytics leader, this episode will reshape how you communicate with data. If you've ever wondered why your dashboards aren't driving decisions, this conversation will hit home. What You'll Learn: * What actually qualifies as an insight * How to distinguish reporting ("the what") from storytelling ("the why") * Why answering "so what?" is the key to influence * The role AI will play in generating insights and telling stories 🤝 Follow Brent on LinkedIn! [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentdykes/] Register for free to be part of the next live session: https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b [https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b] Follow us on Socials: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/maven-analytics] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@MavenAnalytics] Instagram (Mavens of Data) [https://www.instagram.com/mavensofdata/] Instagram (Maven Analytics) [https://www.instagram.com/mavenanalytics] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@mavenanalytics] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/mavenanalytics] Medium [https://medium.com/learning-data] X/Twitter [https://twitter.com/MavenBI]

From First Role to Influence: Packaging, Selling, and Growing Your Value Inside the Organization

You've landed the role, built a few projects, maybe even launched a dashboard or a model, but how do you make sure your work gets noticed, adopted, and truly moves the needle? In this live session with Dora Boussias, Founder at DoraB Global, we'll dive into the practical skills that transform you from "the person who built something cool" into a trusted, influential data professional. This is about more than doing good technical work; it's about ensuring your work creates visibility, influence, and long-term career growth. Expect concrete advice, examples, and actionable takeaways you can implement today. What You'll Learn: * How to build trust with business stakeholders, and how this is the foundation for influence. * Quick wins that help you gain credibility in a new role. * The difference between being seen as a strong contributor vs. a strategic partner, and how to make that shift. * Collaborative approaches to negotiating for resources, scope, or recognition. This session was part of our Open Campus event, which included 6 days of live expert sessions. 🤝 Follow Chris on LinkedIn! [https://www.linkedin.com/in/csdutton/] Register for free to be part of the next live session: https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b [https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b] Follow us on Socials: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/maven-analytics] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@MavenAnalytics] Instagram (Mavens of Data) [https://www.instagram.com/mavensofdata/] Instagram (Maven Analytics) [https://www.instagram.com/mavenanalytics] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@mavenanalytics] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/mavenanalytics] Medium [https://medium.com/learning-data] X/Twitter [https://twitter.com/MavenBI]

How Will AI Impact Data Careers? (w/ Chris Dutton)

The future of work is here, and it's powered by AI. But what does that mean for your career? In this episode, Maven Analytics Founder Chris Dutton is diving deep into the future of analytics and what you can do to prepare for the rapidly changing landscape. You'll learn how to leverage AI as a powerful partner, not a competitor, and discover a clear path to building a career that is resilient, adaptable, and ready for the future. This session was part of our January Jumpstart event, which included 6 days of live expert sessions. 🤝 Follow Chris on LinkedIn! [https://www.linkedin.com/in/csdutton/] Register for free to be part of the next live session: https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b [https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b] Follow us on Socials: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/maven-analytics] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@MavenAnalytics] Instagram (Mavens of Data) [https://www.instagram.com/mavensofdata/] Instagram (Maven Analytics) [https://www.instagram.com/mavenanalytics] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@mavenanalytics] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/mavenanalytics] Medium [https://medium.com/learning-data] X/Twitter [https://twitter.com/MavenBI]