The Powered by Data Show

In this episode of The Data Literacy Show, Ben Jones (CEO of Data Literacy) and Alli Torban (Senior Data Literacy Advocate) talk with Neil Richards, an award-winning data visualization expert and former Global Data Fluency Lead at JLL, about what it really takes to build and sustain a data literacy program inside an organization. 

He’ll share tips on…

• Securing early wins and leadership buy-in
• Little “data moments” to integrate data into the organization culture
• Recognizing the shifts that show your program is working

And more!

Show notes: https://dataliteracy.com/episode-12

In this episode of The Data Literacy Show, Ben Jones (CEO of Data Literacy) and Alli Torban (Senior Data Literacy Advocate) share a practical framework to help you identify strong AI automation candidates, reduce risk, and keep quality high over time.

Topics covered:

• How to use the Frequency–Complexity Matrix to spot good automation opportunities

• How to evaluate a task’s exception rate and decide between full or hybrid automation

• How to estimate recovery cost so you can start automating safely

• The four categories of Automation Health Metrics every team should monitor

• Why humans still play a critical role in trusted automation

Links mentioned:
Show notes: https://dataliteracy.com/episode-11

Waitlist for our new course Enhancing Your Workflow with AI: https://dataliteracy.com/enhancing-your-workflow-with-ai/

In this episode of The Data Literacy Show, Ben Jones (CEO of Data Literacy) and Alli Torban (Senior Data Literacy Advocate) share what makes a strong AI strategy and guide you through the first steps to building one for your organization.

Topics covered:

• What an AI strategy is and the seven important parts of a strong AI strategy

• Common mistakes organizations make

• The first three practical steps to take when defining your AI strategy

Links mentioned:

• ⁠The Data Literacy Score and the AI Literacy Score⁠

• Episode show notes: ⁠http://dataliteracy.com/episode-10

In this episode of The Data Literacy Show, hosts Ben Jones (CEO of Data Literacy) and Alli Torban (Senior Data Literacy Advocate) share the most common training styles (on-demand, live virtual, in-person, hybrid, cohort-based, and project-based) and the pros and cons of each.

Topics covered:

• Why on-demand training is great for scalability but often needs added accountability

• How live virtual sessions boost real-time engagement but can be draining if poorly scheduled

• What makes in-person workshops powerful for retention and connection, despite the higher cost

• Why project-based training is the gold standard for applied results, and when it works best

Links mentioned:

• Data Storytelling for IMPACT On-Demand Course

• Episode show notes: http://dataliteracy.com/episode-09

In this episode of The Data Literacy Show, hosts Ben Jones (CEO of Data Literacy) and Alli Torban (Senior Data Literacy Advocate) share 3 smart chart swaps that instantly improve the clarity and impact of your data graphics. Whether you're presenting to executives or designing reports, these quick swaps help your audience grasp what matters.

Topics covered:

• Why using two pie charts to show change over time is hard to read, and what to try instead

• How small multiples can solve the problems of cluttered stacked bar charts

• When to swap a bullet chart for a diverging bar chart to better show performance vs. target

  
  

Links mentioned:
⁠Level 1: Learning to See Data on-demand course: learn the building blocks of charts, common types, when to use them, and more.

Episode show notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://dataliteracy.com/episode-08

In this episode of The Data Literacy Show, hosts Ben Jones (CEO of Data Literacy) and Alli Torban (Senior Data Literacy Advocate) introduce their newest initiative: Data Freelancers, a vetted marketplace connecting companies with trusted data and AI experts. They share why they built the platform, how it differs from traditional freelance sites, and what companies can expect when hiring top-tier freelance talent for data and AI projects.

Topics covered:

• Why the current freelance platforms don’t work for data projects

• How Data Freelancers vets and curates talent

• What kinds of projects companies can hire for

• What to expect when working with a data freelancer

Links mentioned:

• Data Freelancers site
• Search through the vetted freelancers/consultants
• Post a project request
• Apply to become a freelancer

Episode show notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://dataliteracy.com/episode-07

In this episode of The Data Literacy Show, hosts Ben Jones (CEO of Data Literacy) and Alli Torban (Senior Data Literacy Advocate) explore what the best data stories have in common. Drawing from years of experience and the development of their new course, Data Storytelling for IMPACT, they highlight three essential traits that make data stories impactful, memorable, and persuasive.

Topics covered:

- Three essential traits of all great data stories

- Real-world examples

Episode show notes: ⁠⁠⁠http://dataliteracy.com/episode-06

In this episode of The Data Literacy Show, hosts Ben Jones (CEO of Data Literacy) and Alli Torban (Senior Data Literacy Advocate) introduce a structured, tool-agnostic framework for analyzing data: the WISDOM Framework. Created by Ben, this four-phase process—Wonder, Shape, Discover, and Mature—helps you think critically, uncover meaningful insights, and turn those insights into action, no matter what tool you use.

Topics covered:

• Why data analysis needs more structure.

• An overview of the WISDOM framework: Wonder, Shape, Discover, Mature

• Tips for making better observations, preparing your data, analyzing for significance, and presenting insights that drive decisions

Episode show notes: ⁠⁠http://dataliteracy.com/episode-05

In this episode of The Data Literacy Show, hosts Ben Jones (CEO of Data Literacy) and Alli Torban (Senior Data Literacy Advocate) introduce a smarter, iterative way to build data stories. They share how using small tests at every step of the process—based on the IMPACT framework—can save you time, reduce frustration, and dramatically increase your chances of success.

Topics covered:

• Why data storytelling should be iterative, not linear

• An overview of the IMPACT framework: Insight, Message, Plan, Align, Clarify, Test

• Lightweight testing techniques you can use after each step!

Episode show notes: ⁠⁠http://dataliteracy.com/episode-04

In this episode of The Data Literacy Show, hosts Ben Jones (CEO of Data Literacy) and Alli Torban (Senior Data Literacy Advocate) share the basics of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This is a super-simple primer to help you join the AI conversation!

Topics we cover:

• What is AI? Basic definitions
• Examples of AI that we use every day
• Common myths or misconceptions

If you want to learn more about AI Literacy Fundamentals, take our course or read the book!

Episode show notes: ⁠http://dataliteracy.com/episode-03