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Episode Description:
Taking a break doesn’t mean you miss the good stuff. Last year, while I was on a much-needed vacation, I invited one of my favorite coaches back on the mic — Lynne Snead, Principal & Owner of Talent Evolution Systems.

Lynne walks us through the Three Circles Model — a powerful framework for maintaining focus, expanding influence, and leading with intention. We explore what separates managers from true leaders, the role of mindset and energy in influence, and why how you speak to yourself matters just as much as how you speak to others.

If people would follow you even if they didn’t have to… that’s leadership.

Timestamps:

•  02:47 Meet Lynne Snead Again
•  03:47 The Circles Model
•  09:30 The Circle of Personal Control
•  14:05 It’s the How You Say It, Also to Yourself!
•  20:43 Thought Management
•  22:53 Leadership = Influence
•  25:08 A Manager vs a Leader
•  27:05 Mindset & Energy
•  29:59 Stress
•  31:11 Atomic Habits
•  33:47 Mindmapping
•  36:19 Emotional Intelligence
•  39:38 Read, Study, Learn or Be Left Behind

Reading List:

• Stephen Covey – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• James Clear – Atomic Habits
• John A. Daly – Advocacy: Championing Ideas and Influencing Others

Guest Links:

• Lynne Snead on LinkedIn
• Talent Evolution Systems

Social:
#Leadership #ReplayEpisode #MakingDataSimple #ExecutiveCoaching #Influence #Focus #LeadershipDevelopment #MindsetMatters #PersonalGrowth #AtomicHabits #EmotionalIntelligence #CareerGrowth

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

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Episode Description (Show Notes):
Step into the world of IBM Power Systems with insider insights from Tom McPherson, former GM of IBM Power. In this conversation, Tom shares leadership lessons, debunks common misconceptions, and dives deep into the innovations shaping the future of Power infrastructure. From AI integration to hybrid cloud strategies, competitive positioning to compelling client use cases — it’s a powerhouse discussion you won’t want to miss.

Timestamps:

•  00:49 Meet Tom McPherson
•  03:00 Leadership Advice
•  04:58 Hobbies
•  07:53 IBM Power
•  10:24 Power 11
•  13:53 Common Misconception
•  14:39 Favorite Power Features
•  21:51 Promise to Profits of AI
•  25:28 Hybrid Cloud
•  27:34 Power Competitors
•  28:36 Compelling Use Cases
•  29:51 The Future of Power
•  31:20 Rapid Fire
•  33:51 Business Partners in Power
•  35:16 Leadership

Guest Links:
🔗 Tom McPherson on LinkedIn
🌐 IBM Power Systems

Social:
#IBMPower #Leadership #HybridCloud #AI #EnterpriseTech #TechInnovation #MakingDataSimple #PowerSystems #BusinessStrategy #DigitalTransformation #CloudComputing #AIinBusiness

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

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🎙 Replay Alert: Symbolic AI, QLattice, and Mind-Bending Ideas with Casper Wilstrup

We’re bringing back one of our most thought-provoking episodes! Join us for a replay with Casper Skern Wilstrup, CEO of Abzu and the mind behind QLattice. We dive into Symbolic AI, the why behind Abzu, and Casper’s wild take on consciousness, simulation theory, and panpsychism. It’s science, AI, and philosophy in one unforgettable conversation. Grab a drink, sit back, and prepare to have your mind blown — again.

🔹 Timestamps:
• 01:39 Introducing Casper Wilstrup
• 06:34 Abzu the Name
• 09:09 Abzu the Mission
• 12:32 Symbolic AI
• 22:20 Foundational Models?
• 24:42 The QLattice Explanation
• 26:33 Abzu Use Cases
• 30:57 More on QLattice
• 32:52 The Abzu Pitch
• 34:56 Reaching Abzu
• 36:10 Are We in a Simulation?
• 38:03 Panpsychism 🤯
• 43:03 For Fun

🔗 LinkedIn: Casper Wilstrup
🌐 Website: abzu.ai

Hashtags:
#ReplayEpisode #MakingDataSimple #SymbolicAI #QLattice #AbzuAI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIPhilosophy #Panpsychism #SimulationTheory #AIandScience #DataPodcast

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

Deep Diving into the future of AI:

Join Dr. Sean Falconer — AI Entrepreneur in Residence at Confluent, software engineering leader, and developer relations expert — for a deep dive into the future of AI, data streaming, and what it really means to build at the edge of innovation. From managing multiple LLMs to testing autonomous agents and sharing his bold contrarian takes, Sean helps us simplify the complexity of today's tech.

📌 Timestamps

•  04:38 – Meet Sean Falconer
•  11:11 – Lifelong Learning
•  12:31 – AI Entrepreneur in Residence
•  16:28 – Multiple LLMs in Action
•  21:07 – The Tech Behind Confluent
•  25:51 – Why Sean Chose Confluent
•  28:40 – Invest or Short?
•  36:58 – Testing Agents IRL
•  40:51 – The Contrarian AI Take
•  42:27 – Looking Ahead: The Future of AI

🔗 Connect with Sean:

• LinkedIn
• Substack
• Medium

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

She’s the legal powerhouse behind IBM’s AI ethics strategy — and she makes law fun.
In this encore episode, we revisit a fan favorite: Christina Montgomery, formerly IBM’s Chief Privacy and Trust Officer, now Chief Privacy and Trust Officer, GM. From guarding the gates of generative AI risk to advising on global regulation, Christina gives us a front-row seat to what’s now, what’s next, and what needs rethinking when it comes to trust, synthetic data, and the future of AI law.

📍 Timestamps:
 • 01:00 Christina Montgomery!
 • 04:36 My Daughter and the Bar
 • 08:36 Chief Privacy and Trust Officer
 • 11:37 Keeping IBM Out of Trouble
 • 13:34 Client Conversations
 • 16:23 Where to Be Bullish and Bearish
 • 20:52 The Risks of LLMs
 • 24:21 NIST and AI Alliance
 • 28:26 AI Regulation
 • 36:13 Synthetic Data
 • 38:00 Misconceptions
 • 40:07 Worries
 • 41:27 The Path to AI
 • 43:13 Aspiring Lawyers

🔗 Christina on LinkedIn
🌐 IBM AI Ethics

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

The AI Advantage: Get Better Results from LLMs with the Perfect Prompt
On this episode of Making Data Simple, we’re joined by Jonathan Mast, AI consultant and coach at Whitebeard Strategies and creator of the Perfect Prompting Framework™. Jonathan’s not just riding the AI wave—he’s teaching business leaders and everyday users how to surf it, with simple, actionable tools that unlock meaningful results from large language models.

If you've ever stared at a prompt box wondering what to type—or worse, gotten garbage back from AI—this episode is for you. We talk about what works, what doesn’t, and what’s coming next (agents, anyone?). Plus, Jonathan breaks down his 4-step framework that’s helping 300K+ community members and clients scale AI with clarity and confidence.

⏱️ Episode Timestamps

• 01:34 Introducing Jonathan Mast
• 04:13 Digital Agency
• 05:29 Whitebeard Strategies
• 08:06 ADD
• 09:57 Back to Whitebeard
• 14:51 The Perfect Prompting Framework
• 21:36 The Four Step Method
• 24:58 What if You Don't Use AI?
• 28:37 Agents
• 30:08 Whitebeard Engagements
• 32:42 Getting Started
• 36:39 What's True But Not a Consensus?
• 37:23 For Fun

🔗 Connect with Jonathan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanjmast/
• Website: https://whitebeardstrategies.com

#MakingDataSimple #PerfectPromptingFramework #AIforBusiness #AIProductivity #JonathanMast #PromptEngineering #LLMs #AIAgents #WhitebeardStrategies #TechPodcast #DataSimplified

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

We’re back with Part 2 of our must-listen conversation with Dave Garrison, leadership strategist and veteran CEO, on what it really takes to unlock performance through engagement.

In this episode, we go deeper into the psychological drivers of motivation — autonomy, mastery, and purpose — and explore how to stop employee churn, combat burnout, and lead with clarity (not just charisma). Plus: how to rethink your approach to hiring and the controversial take on using AI in leadership decisions.

Stick around for a surprise recap guest who brings it all home. 💥

🕒 Time-Stamps:
00:12 – Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose
04:48 – How to Stop Churn
07:10 – Laying the Hammer Down
08:00 – Burnout
14:50 – Are You Using AI Wrong?
16:27 – Energy Level
17:40 – Coach Katherine Mayne's Take
19:57 – Hire for Aptitude, Fire for Attitude
22:19 – The Recap

🔗 Connect with Dave on LinkedIn
📘 Explore his book, Buy-In

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

📝 Show Notes:
What if the biggest barrier to your company’s growth isn’t your strategy — but your people’s belief in it?

In Part 1 of this powerful two-part episode, we welcome Dave Garrison, seasoned CEO, board member, and leadership strategist with over 25 years of experience driving real-world results. Dave pulls back the curtain on what employee engagement really means — and why it's the key to reducing turnover, boosting innovation, and transforming your business from the inside out.

Whether you’re leading a small team or an entire enterprise, this episode delivers practical, battle-tested strategies to move your people from burnout to buy-in.

💥 Expect real talk, not fluff. Practical steps, not platitudes. Because leadership isn’t about charisma — it’s about connection.

🔗 Connect with Dave on LinkedIn
📘 Check out his book: buyinbook.com

🕒 Episode Breakdown:

• 01:43 Meet Dave Garrison
• 06:02 Why is Strategy Hard
• 07:34 What is Engagement?
• 15:48 Trust is a Prerequisite to Conflict
• 19:34 Connecting with "Human Beings"
• 20:45 Creating Friday Night Lights Moments
• 26:46 Slowing Down to Speed Up
• 29:35 The Real Cost of Disengagement

🔥 Hashtags:
#MakingDataSimple #LeadershipStrategy #EmployeeEngagement #DaveGarrison #BusinessGrowth #TrustAndLeadership #OrganizationalHealth #TeamCulture #WorkplaceInnovation #BuyInNotBurnout

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

From Elephant Butts to Ethical AI — Duncan Curtis on De-Risking GenAI at Sama

Episode intro
Duncan Curtis, SVP for GenAI & AI Product + Technology at Sama, has shipped everything from autonomous-vehicle platforms at Zoox to game-changing data products at Google. Today he leads a 160-person team that’s reinventing how training data is curated, labeled, and audited so enterprises can ship production-ready GenAI—without the lurking model risk. Sama’s newest release, Sama Automate, is already cutting annotation time by 40 percent while keeping quality above SLAs, and Duncan says they’re “aiming for a 10× improvement by 2025.” (aiuserconference.com, sama.com)

If you want the inside track on AI ROI, ethical guardrails, and why A’s hire A’s (but B’s hire C’s!), lean in—this one’s for you. (And yes, we do get to elephant butts.)

Timestamped roadmap

• 00:46 Meet Duncan Curtis
• 03:51 The Duncan Brand
• 05:52 Making Time for Yourself
• 08:47 Autonomous Cars — 9× Safer
• 12:21 Favorite Jobs
• 13:24 Inside Sama
• 14:39 Data & LLM Training
• 16:04 De-Risking Models
• 19:08 Ethical AI
• 22:43 Stopping Hallucinations
• 27:18 Data Labeling Deep-Dive
• 31:56 Production-Ready GenAI
• 33:44 AGI Horizons
• 35:34 What Makes Sama Different
• 36:31 Calculating AI ROI
• 38:50 State of the LLMs
• 44:48 Elephant Butts & Closing Thoughts

Quick links

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-curtis/
• Sama: https://www.sama.com/
• Latest blog: “Sama Introduces New Data Automation Platform” (sama.com)
• Hear more: Duncan on “Human Guardrails in Generative AI” (DataCamp podcast) (datacamp.com)

Hashtags

#MakingDataSimple #AIProduct #GenAI #DataLabeling #EthicalAI #AIROI #AutonomousVehicles #Podcast

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a text

🎧 Episode Description:
This week on Making Data Simple, we welcome David Hirschfeld, Founder and CEO of Tekyz. With a background spanning major tech firms and startup trenches, David brings grounded, data-backed insight into what makes or breaks a startup. From tackling the #1 reason startups fail to exploring the value of validation and the real meaning of product-market fit, this episode is a no-fluff masterclass in entrepreneurial strategy. David’s message is clear: "Don’t focus on your product. Focus on the client’s problem."

Whether you're a first-time founder or scaling your next venture, David offers hard-earned truths, including surprising takes on unicorns, VCs, and what really matters more — the founder or the technology?

⏱ Time Markers:
01:20 – Meet David Hirschfeld
05:55 – THE Reason Startups Fail
08:50 – Lifetime Value
11:33 – The Value of Validation
14:48 – What Do the VCs Say?
16:20 – Startup Success Rate
17:10 – Tekyz
23:01 – Product Market Fit
29:18 – Startup Ideation
31:37 – Unicorns
38:12 – Unexpected Truths
42:45 – Founder or Technology?

🔗 Connect with David:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhirschfeld

Website: https://tekyz.com

 #MakingDataSimple #StartupAdvice #ProductMarketFit #TechLeadership #VCInsights #FoundersJourney #Entrepreneurship #DataDrivenDecisions #StartupFailure #Innovation #ClientCentric #Podcast

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.