How do you build confidence at work?

Why do so many professionals struggle to speak up in meetings?

And what is fear really costing your career?

In this episode of The Data Nerd Podcast, Nisar Ahmed sits down with keynote speaker, leadership expert, and Founder of Unmuted, Rachel Druckenmiller, to break down her powerful VOICE Method — a practical framework for overcoming self-doubt, building leadership presence, and confidently speaking up at work.

If you're a data professional, analyst, aspiring leader, or anyone looking to improve communication skills and executive presence, this episode will help you move from hesitation to action.

We explore:

• How to overcome fear of speaking up
• Why confidence is built through action
• The difference between confidence and arrogance (confident humility)
• How to stop playing small in your career
• Why boldness regrets hurt more than failure
• How data storytelling strengthens leadership influence
• Practical steps to build clarity, courage, and impact at work

Rachel shares real-world insights from working with thousands of leaders and professionals, along with research-backed concepts that apply directly to career growth, communication skills, and workplace confidence.

If you've ever:

• Held back in a meeting
• Felt like an imposter
• Avoided opportunities because you "weren't ready"
• Wanted more influence as a data professional This conversation is for you.

📚 Books & Research Mentioned:

• Atomic Habits – James Clear
• The Courage to Be Disliked – Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga
• The Top Five Regrets of the Dying – Bronnie Ware
• Quiet – Susan Cain
• Research from Adam Grant
• Research from Daniel Pink (World Regret Survey)

Rachel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelbdruckenmiller/

🌐 Full episodes of The Data Nerd Podcast and exclusive merch (including the official Data Nerd hat) — visit: www.thedatanerdpodcast.com

In this episode of The Data Nerd Podcast, host Nisar Ahmed welcomes back analytics leader and data community builder Dustin Schimek for a timely conversation on the real data analytics skills employers want in 2026 — and what they pay for them.

Today's guest is Dustin Schimek, creator of the Data Jobs Report and the weekly Data Jobs Rundown, where he analyzes real job postings year over year to uncover hiring trends across data and analytics roles. With experience leading analytics teams and enabling data practitioners, Dustin brings a data-driven lens to understanding how analytics careers are evolving and what professionals should be paying attention to next.

At its core, this episode is about cutting through the noise. Rather than relying on opinions or hype, the conversation is grounded in actual hiring data and long-term trends. Together, Nisar and Dustin explore how expectations for data analysts are changing, how skills and experience shape career growth, and why compensation looks the way it does across different stages of an analytics career.

🎧 Tune in to learn:

• The top data analytics skills employers are hiring for
• How Tableau and Power BI stack up in today's market
• The growing importance of cloud skills in analytics roles
• Why data storytelling continues to rise in demand
• Analyst vs senior analyst salary ranges and what drives pay growth
• How experience and industry knowledge impact hiring decisions

If you're a data analyst, aspiring analyst, or analytics leader looking for a realistic, data-backed perspective on the analytics job market, this episode will help you better understand where the field is headed — and how to position yourself for what's next.

Dustin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinschimek/

🌐 Full episodes of The Data Nerd Podcast and exclusive merch (including the official Data Nerd hat) — visit: www.thedatanerdpodcast.com

In this episode of The Data Nerd Podcast, host Nisar Ahmed welcomes back leadership communication expert and TEDx speaker Christopher Chin for an inspiring conversation about what it really takes to step onto the TEDx stage. Today's guest is Christopher Chin, TEDx speaker, communication strategist, and Founder of The Hidden Speaker. Once an introvert working in technical roles, Chris learned firsthand how easily brilliant ideas get lost when the message isn't clear—and built a framework to fix that. Now he trains global teams, coaches leaders, and helps introverts, analysts, and technical professionals communicate with confidence and step onto bigger stages, including TEDx.

At its core, this episode is about voice, courage, and the power of personal narrative. Christopher breaks down the mindset shifts, practical steps, and storytelling skills that helped him become a TEDx speaker—and why he believes far more people are capable of doing it than they realize. If you've ever thought "I'm not expert enough" or "who am I to give a TEDx talk?", this conversation will change how you see yourself.

🎧 Tune in to learn:

• Why confidence is less about knowing everything and more about embracing what you don't know

• How cognitive biases like the spotlight effect and negativity bias silently undermine your communication

• Why TEDx organizers aren't looking for brand-new ideas—but uniquely you ideas

• What separates a specialist from an "expert," and why that distinction matters

• How storytelling, emotion, and structure elevate any talk—especially data talks

• Why doing a TEDx can become a career-changing part of your personal brand

• Practical steps to brainstorming a topic, matching it to a TEDx theme, and applying confidently

Connect with Christopher Chin on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwchin/

The Hidden Speaker:
https://www.cwcconsulting.co/

🌐 Full episodes of The Data Nerd Podcast, plus exclusive merch (including the official Data Nerd hat) — visit: www.thedatanerdpodcast.com