
Learn business skills to transform your data into stories.
Every Tuesday, get one actionable tip teaching you how to craft impactful data stories, master visual communication, and drive outcomes for your business.
10 Fixes for Awkward Virtual Presentations
Read Time – 3 minutes
Let’s face it, virtual presentations are here to stay. But while your data might be brilliant, none of it will land if your delivery looks like you're dialing in from a basement at midnight.
The truth is, many professionals spend hours perfecting their slides but overlook th...
by Zack Mazzoncini —
Mar 30, 2025
presentation checklist
presentation tips
professional presence
public speaking
remote meetings
virtual presentations
Why People Stop Listening To You
Read Time – 3 minutes
You have 30 seconds.That’s how long it takes for most people to decide whether they’ll keep listening, or tune out.
In meetings, presentations, and leadership briefings, attention is your first and most important currency. If you don’t earn it right away, your best insights ...
by Zack Mazzoncini —
Mar 25, 2025
audience attention
business speaking skills
communication strategy
engagement techniques
presentation openers
storytelling in business
The Smartest Way To Make Your Audience Care
Read Time – 4 minutes
We’ve all been there, spending hours crafting a dashboard, slide deck, or report packed with insights.
But when we share it, we’re met with blank stares, confusion, or a flood of follow-up questions.
The problem? We focus on what we find interesting instead of what our audie...
by Zack Mazzoncini —
Mar 18, 2025
chart design
dashboard clarity
data storytelling
data visualization best practices
stakeholder communication
Your Charts Are Confusing. Here’s How to Fix Them.
Read Time – 4 minutes
We’ve all seen them.
Dashboards overflowing with colorful charts. Reports packed with complex visuals. Slides that feel like a data dump.
The problem? Most charts don’t make insights clear—they make them harder to find.
If your audience has to decode your visual before they ...
by Zack Mazzoncini —
Mar 12, 2025
chart design
dashboard design
data storytelling
data visualization
effective charts
report clarity
Your Data Is Missing Something Important, Your Voice.
Read Time – 4 minutes
We send out reports, dashboards, and slide decks expecting our audience to instantly grasp the insights.
But here’s the reality: They don’t.
Without the right context, numbers don’t mean much. Without narrative, key insights get lost. Without you, your data isn’t as valuable...
by Zack Mazzoncini —
Mar 04, 2025
business reporting
data presentation
data storytelling
executive communication
narrated data
report clarity
Why No One Remembers Your Presentation
Read Time – 5 minutes
We’ve all seen it (or done it ourselves).
A presenter puts up a slide packed with text, multiple charts, and paragraphs of analysis.
And what happens next?
The audience stops listening and starts reading. Some squint at the screen, others check out entirely. By the time the ...
by Zack Mazzoncini —
Feb 25, 2025
business presentations
executive communication
presentation design
public speaking
slide design
Stop Answering The Same Data Questions.
Read Time – 6 minutes
The Problem: Endless Follow-Up Questions
You present a dashboard or slide deck, and the moment you stop talking, the hands go up.
“Can we see this by region?”“Which sales reps contributed the most?”“What’s the trend over time?”
The cycle repeats in every meeting. You answer ...
by Zack Mazzoncini —
Feb 18, 2025
business intelligence
data storytelling
executive reporting
interactive dashboards
self-service analytics
When A Table Is Your Only Option. Do this.
Read time: 5 minutes
Let’s be honest—tables are boring.
They’re dense.They’re overwhelming.And worst of all, they hide the real story in the data.
But sometimes, tables are the only option.
So instead of fighting them, enhance them.
Here’s how to transform any wall of numbers into a clear, engagi...
by Zack Mazzoncini —
Feb 11, 2025
business reporting
data presentation
data storytelling
executive insights
report clarity
table design
Don't Give Stakeholders What They Ask For, Do This Instead.
Read time: 3 minutes
Stakeholders often think they know how they want data presented.
They request raw spreadsheets, giant pivot tables, and long lists of numbers, believing that more data means more control.
But here’s the problem: What they ask for isn’t always what actually helps them make bet...
by Zack Mazzoncini —
Feb 04, 2025
business reporting
dashboard design
data clarity
decision-making
executive insights
stakeholder communication
More Data Isn’t the Answer
Read time: 4 minutes
When everything looks important, nothing stands out.
Dashboards, reports, and presentations often overwhelm audiences with walls of numbers—forcing them to search for the insights that matter most.
But here’s the fix: Use big numbers strategically.
Big numbers cut through the...
by Zack Mazzoncini —
Jan 28, 2025
business communication
dashboard design
data clarity
data storytelling
data visualization
stakeholder engagement
Your WORDS matter
Read time: 3 minutes
Have you ever presented a dashboard only to see blank stares or confusion from your audience? Chances are, the issue wasn’t your data—it was the words you used to narrate it.
Here’s the problem: technical jargon creates confusion, not clarity.
When you describe your dashboard...
by Zack Mazzoncini —
Jan 21, 2025
business impact
clear communication
dashboard narration
data storytelling
stakeholder alignment
technical jargon
The Myth of the "Perfect Dashboard"
Read time: 3 minutes
I’ll come right out and say it: most dashboards fail to tell a cohesive story.
We’ve all seen it—dashboards crammed with charts, numbers, and filters, trying to be everything for everyone. They’re supposed to be the holy grail of data storytelling, yet they often leave audien...
by Zack Mazzoncini —
Jan 14, 2025
connecting data
dashboard design
data storytelling
stakeholder alignment
storytelling strategies
visual clarity