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

In this episode of The Data Nerd Podcast, host Nisar Ahmed sits down with Tableau legend Andy Kriebel for a raw, unfiltered conversation about DataFam Europe and the state of the Tableau community. Known as a Tableau Visionary Hall of Famer, creator of Makeover Monday, and founder of Next-Level Tableau, Andy has been at the heart of the DataFam for years, so when he says something feels off, it's worth paying attention.

Andy shares his honest take on why this year's DataFam Europe felt like a sales and Salesforce-focused pitch to the wrong audience, rather than a celebration of the everyday Tableau Desktop user who is the DataFam. He talks about the lack of practical problem-solving content, the shift away from inspiring customer stories, and the frustrating gap between how much the community gives to Tableau and how little their real needs seem to be reflected on stage.

At its core, this episode is about what made the DataFam special in the first place—sharing knowledge, solving real viz problems, lifting each other up—and why Andy believes Tableau's events risk drifting away from that spirit. If you've ever felt both deep loyalty to the product and disappointment in its direction, this conversation will resonate.

🎧 Tune in to learn:

- Why DataFam Europe left many longtime users feeling overlooked

- How Tableau's conference culture has shifted post-acquisition

- Why real customer stories—and not product pitches—once made Tableau Conferences unforgettable

- The widening disconnect between Salesforce messaging and what Desktop users actually need - Why speaking honestly matters when you love a product and want it to be better

- What it will take to recenter the DataFam and restore the community spirit that defined Tableau's rise

Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andykriebel/

Next-Level Tableau: https://nlt.circle.so/join-nlt

🌐 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 is joined by Mike Cisneros—award-winning data visualization expert, two-time Tableau Visionary, and co-author of the brand-new book Storytelling With Data: Before & After. Mike has built a career at the intersection of analytics, design, software development, and data education, bringing a rare blend of creativity, clarity, and technical depth to the craft of data storytelling. His work helps readers and practitioners transform real-world visualizations through thoughtful redesigns and intentional narrative choices.

What begins with childhood memories, hockey stories, and life lessons quickly reveals deeper parallels to data storytelling—how we process information, how flow states shape our work, and why the way we tell data stories often matters more than the charts themselves. Together, Nisar and Mike unpack the psychology behind communication, the power of relatable narratives, and why our lived experiences make us better storytellers in the age of AI.

🎧 Tune in to learn:

• How sports, childhood memories, and real-life experiences shape powerful data stories
• Why narrative beats numbers alone—especially when communicating with executives
• What Mike's new book Before & After teaches about redesigning visuals with intention
• How to recognize the hidden psychology behind insights that persuade
• Why AI adoption requires more human storytelling, not less
• The real reasons data teams struggle to deliver impact

Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikevizneros/

Storytelling with Data: https://www.storytellingwithdata.com/

🌐 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 sits down with Salma Sultana—data storytelling coach, founder of Hummingbirds, and a passionate advocate for bringing cognitive psychology into the world of analytics. With nearly two decades of experience across consulting, financial services, biotech, and tech, Salma has helped countless professionals transform complex insights into narratives that actually stick.

Together, Nisar and Salma dive deep into the psychology behind effective data storytelling—how humans process information, why narrative beats numbers alone, and what separates a report that gets ignored from one that sparks action. They explore the subtle but powerful ingredients of persuasion, clarity, emotion, and structure, and why understanding how the mind works is becoming a superpower for data professionals in the age of AI.

🎧 Tune in to learn:

• Why data stories succeed or fail—and what the brain has to do with it
• How cognitive psychology can elevate your dashboards, presentations, and insights
• The common traps data teams fall into when communicating with executives
• Practical ways to make your data more memorable, relatable, and actionable

Salma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/-salma-sultana-/

Website: https://www.huemmingbirds.com/

🌐 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 chats with Alli Torban—data visualization specialist, author of Chart Spark, and host of the Data Viz Today podcast. With a background in mathematics and geospatial intelligence, Alli has worked across government, non-profit, and corporate sectors to make complex data stories accessible and impactful.

Together, Nisar and Alli explore what it truly means to get your data voice heard—especially as an introvert navigating today's noisy digital world. From building confidence through podcasting to embracing creativity as a data professional, they unpack how sharing your perspective can shape both your career and your community.

🎧 Tune in to learn:

- How introverts can grow visibility and influence in the data space

- Why podcasting is a powerful medium for finding and refining your voice

- The mindset shift from perfection to consistency

- Practical ways to start sharing your "data voice" today

Alli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisontorban/

Website: https://www.allitorban.com/

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

In this episode of The Data Nerd Podcast, host Nisar Ahmed sits down with Charlie Hills—a growth strategist who has turned AI into a full-fledged engine for LinkedIn influence. In 2024, Charlie leveraged AI-powered strategies to grow his LinkedIn following to over 50,000 in under a year—and by 2025, he'd skyrocketed past 160,000 followers in just nine months.

From early skepticism about AI to building systems that supercharged his creativity, productivity, and career trajectory, Charlie shares how he used AI to transform his personal and professional growth—and how you can, too.

🎧 Tune in to learn:

- How to use AI as a true growth accelerator, not just a content tool

- The mindset shift that turned Charlie from skeptic to strategist

- Why curiosity and adaptability are the real superpowers in the AI era

- Practical ways to integrate AI into your daily workflow for exponential growth

Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-hills/

Linked Agency: https://www.linked-agency.com/

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