In this episode of the DATA SECRETS Podcast, I sit down with Peter Coffee—legendary technology researcher, prolific writer, and longtime Salesforce evangelist—to unpack five decades of digital transformation, the dawn of AI, and the future of intelligent business.

Peter shares hard-won lessons from the days of slide rules and room-sized mainframes through the PC revolution, cloud-first innovation, and today’s AI-powered landscape. We explore:

• Why using AI just to do old tasks “better, faster, cheaper” leaves a ton of value on the table
• The difference between incremental improvement and breakthrough, unimagined possibilities with data
• What the “AOL dial-up phase of AI” means for businesses and how AI soon becomes like the air we breathe
• How Salesforce’s strategy (via acquisitions, platforms, and partnerships) reflects the relentless march toward seamless intelligence
• Why the tools of tech should “disappear into their function” and what it takes for leaders to build truly adaptive organizations
• The new world of AI agents, what Minsky got right about “minds,” and how complex digital systems will soon self-orchestrate
• Practical pitfalls and mindset shifts for execs competing in a world where your real rival is the “best digital experience” a customer has... anywhere!

Peter also shares what’s next for him: his work with the Foundation for Intelligent Life on Earth and his urgent call for data-driven action on climate change.

From AI’s hidden potential to the cultural (and personal!) changes driving decades of innovation, this episode is packed with stories, strategies, and provocations for anyone building the future of business.

If you’re ready to move beyond the “easy wins” in AI and data, and want to unlock transformational opportunities, this conversation with Peter Coffee is a must-listen.

Connect with Peter:
🔗 Foundation for Intelligent Life on Earth: http://intelligentlifeonearth.com/
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petercoffee/

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In this episode of the DATA SECRETS Podcast, we sit down with Nadiem von Heydebrand, CEO and co-founder of Mindfuel, to uncover the real secrets behind creating business impact with data and analytics.

Nadiem shares why data teams struggle to demonstrate their value, drawing on stories from consulting and startup life... including why 1,900 out of 2,000 dashboards at one client were simply unnecessary. We discuss:

• The difference between “output” and true business “outcome” in analytics
• How data product management transforms tech output into customer-centric results
• Why most organizations don’t generate (or properly use) their own data early on
• The hidden dangers in data processes, like the paint shop model ruined by overlooked temperature data
• How to build and structure a data team for maximum business value, whether centralized or distributed
• What makes customer satisfaction the most universal KPI, and why click rates are losing relevance
• How AI and data governance are reshaping enterprise priorities

From startup pivots to insurance risk modeling to KPI horror stories, Nadiem’s insights reveal how leaders must link every data asset to a real business impact... or risk getting lost in a forest of unused dashboards.

If you want to know how data teams, product managers, and business leaders can finally crack the value code, this conversation is a must-listen.

Connect with Nadiem:
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiemvh/
🌐 Mindfuel: https://www.mindfuel.ai/

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In this episode of the DATA SECRETS Podcast, I sit down with Brian Benn, CIO of Clark Atlanta University and former CIO at the Atlanta Housing Authority, to explore how business process mastery unlocks the true potential of organizational data.

Brian Benn pulls back the curtain on his journey from NASA software engineer to IT leadership in public sector and higher ed, sharing how confidence, continual learning, and a focus on people shaped his rise to the CIO seat. We discuss:

• Why understanding business processes is foundational to data strategy and digital transformation
• The art of mapping handoffs, avoiding silos, and fostering interdepartmental trust
• Key advice for technology practitioners looking to move into executive roles (including the difference between a mentor and a sponsor)
• Challenges of managing “small-town sized” data at Clark Atlanta, from police departments to museums, sports arenas, and beyond
• How to wrangle mountains of diverse data into a single source of truth for actionable insights
• Real stories of using data to drive investment, improve graduation rates, and support community success
• The critical role of governance, retention policy, and identifying the “right amount” of data for decision-makers
• Vanity metrics, weird KPIs, and the North Star numbers that matter most in higher education

Whether you’re leading data strategy in higher ed, government, or the private sector, Brian Benn offers practical wisdom on connecting technology, process, and people for powerful, enduring impact. If you’ve ever wondered how a CIO views the secret life of data across an entire ecosystem, this episode is packed with insights.

Drop your questions in the comments—we read and respond to every one!

Connect with Brian: 
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bwbenn/
📸 Instagram: @brianwbenn

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In this live episode of the DATA SECRETS Podcast, host Nathan Settembrini sits down with Chris Williams – Tableau Ambassador and keynote speaker at Dreamforce 2025 – for a candid, on-the-ground conversation about the evolution of Tableau, its integration into the Salesforce ecosystem, and the game-changing potential of Tableau Next.

Chris shares behind-the-scenes insights from his Dreamforce keynote, breaking down how the new Tableau semantic model is providing a unified foundation for analytics, AI, and actionable insights across Tableau and Salesforce, plus how it’s all connecting with Slack and Teams for deeper collaboration. We dig into:

• Why semantic models are the “puzzle piece” connecting raw data to real business meaning
• How self-service analytics is becoming accessible to all personas, not just data pros
• Tableau horror stories, real-world wins, and what happens when sensor data goes silent
• The secrets of uncovering hidden insights that actually drive business decisions and save serious money
• The importance of community, mentorship, and the #DataFam in the next generation of data careers
• Practical tips for breaking into analytics, and why business context is your secret superpower

Whether you missed Dreamforce or just want to hear what’s next in the world of data, this episode is packed with stories, advice, and actionable takeaways for anyone looking to level up with Salesforce and Tableau.

🔗 Connect with Chris Williams on LinkedIn

If you’re ready to make smarter decisions and unlock the secrets hiding in your data, this is your backstage pass. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and keep sleuthing!

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In this episode of The DATA SECRETS Podcast, I sit down with Sairam Sundaresan, Engineering Leader and AI expert, formerly at Qualcomm and Intel. We dig into the real-world data challenges and surprising insights behind building safe, scalable AI systems for autonomous cars and how those lessons translate to any business using data to unlock value.

Sai pulls back the curtain on:

• How teams structure and collaborate to create reliable perception for vehicles
• The complexity of collecting, cleaning, and curating diverse, real-world data (e.g., snowstorms in Colorado vs. perfect San Francisco weather)
• What happens when the data tells you something completely counterintuitive, and how unexpected “secrets” hide in machine learning models
• A real business case where fixing tiny data details meant huge leaps in product success
• The horror story of a “data leak” between training and validation sets and what it teaches about trusting your models in production
• Why accuracy is an overrated metric, and what KPIs actually drive value and curiosity on high-performing teams
• How AI is changing the role (but not the importance) of data analysts in business
• Practical advice for anyone looking to upskill and leverage AI in their data workflows, starting with hands-on projects and tool experimentation

Whether you’re an engineer, data analyst, or business leader, Sai’s stories and advice reveal what it really takes to turn messy, real-world data into business impact. Plus, get a sneak peek at his upcoming book, AI for the Rest of Us, designed to bridge the gap between technical teams and business strategy.

Chapters:
00:00 Understanding Machines and Humans
03:16 Autonomous Driving Software Development
09:13 From Toy Data to Real Insights
10:50 Unexpected Model Bias Lying in the Shadows
14:16 Early Depth Camera Scanning Challenges
17:18 Data Leak Derails Model Performance
20:56 AI Explained for Non-Experts
25:08 Vanity Metrics in Accuracy
27:26 User Behavior Insights
31:12 Evolving Role of Data Analysts
33:08 Master AI Through Practice
36:12 Using AI to Solve Problems

Connect with Sairam:
🔗 Gradient Ascent Newsletter: https://newsletter.artofsaience.com/
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sairam-sundaresan/
📖 Order Sai's Book: 'AI for the Rest of Us'

If you want a ringside seat on how business leaders crack the code, uncover the truth in their data, and translate insights into action, this is one episode you don’t want to miss.

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In this episode of the DATA SECRETS Podcast, we crack open a manufacturing data “case file” with none other than Frank Borovsky – Mr. Manufacturing Cloud. If you think every Fortune 500 factory has their act together, think again! Frank spills the beans on busted systems, mysterious KPIs, and the questionable "data alibis" companies use to dodge hard truths.

Get ready for:

• The tale of Project Titan at Honeywell – a data sleuthing operation that uncovered double-dealing, cross-division chaos, and “customers” playing both sides
• The showdown between real KPIs and “vanity metrics” (hint: NPS is in the lineup for questioning)
• A behind-the-scenes look at how Frank survived complete system shutdowns, corrupted floppy disks, and more hair-raising data horror stories
• How private equity firms are shaking things up with their relentless chase for EBITDA, and why Frank loves solving their cases
• The secret ingredient to every successful manufacturing operation: on-time to first promise (a.k.a. your statistical “say-do ratio”)
• Frank’s “weirdest KPI”? Customer Expected Lead Time (CELT), and how it can make or break your operational alibi

Frank also reveals why most leaders would rather believe a “pretty dashboard” than interrogate the real data, and why every exec needs to get ready for AI to reveal inconvenient truths.

If you’re itching for the data drama beneath the surface of manufacturing, this episode is packed with shocking reveals, hilariously nerdy moments, and actionable forensics for your next analytics initiative.

Connect with Frank:
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankborovsky/
🌐 B2Beyond: https://b2beyond.com/ 
📧 Email: frank.borovsky@b2beyond.com

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In this episode of the DATA SECRETS Podcast, Nathan Settembrini and Melanie Manning kick off a new series called “Data Confessions” – an inside look at the messy, thrilling, and sometimes hilarious adventures in real-world analytics consulting.

Nathan and Melanie pull back the curtain on their most intriguing current investigations, including:

• How to optimize business processes with tricky handoffs and unreliable data across multiple teams
• What it’s like to lead transformative analytics initiatives (and juggle both IT and business expectations on the ground)
• The surprising challenges in analyzing corporate real estate data: meeting room wars, “forks” as a KPI, and the reality of hybrid work
• Data horror stories, from multi-month cleanups (“Stop the Bleeding” and “Clean Up the Blood”) to “scream tests” on unused reports
• Moments when one metric changed everything (including the time a simple “cost per ton” dashboard blew the lid off a mining company’s profitability)

PLUS: The Lightning Round! Find out which vanity metrics, weird KPIs, and North Star measurements these pros love, hate, and use to drive results.

Nathan and Melanie also tackle big questions about operational process, the surprising accessibility of modern analytics, and what AI means for the future of dashboards and data transformations. If you’re a leader, analyst, or just data-curious, this episode is packed with practical lessons—and a few laughs—straight from the analytics trenches.

Chapters:
00:00 Opening Statement
01:30 Case File #1: Active Investigations
08:54 Case File #2: Evidence Gone Wrong
17:12 Case File #3: Breaking the Case
22:02 Lightning Round: Numbers on Trial
26:16 Closing Arguments

Comment with your own data confessions or questions—and don’t forget to like and subscribe so you never miss an episode!

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In this episode of The DATA SECRETS Podcast, I talk with Michael Franklin, Founder and Managing Partner at Cold Iron Capital and a multi-exit Private Equity CIO, about how data and technology can transform even the most traditional manufacturing businesses.

Michael shares his journey from tech leader to business operator, detailing how he helped grow cabinet manufacturer ACPI from a struggling $120M company to a $1.8B powerhouse with a staggering 28x return for its PE backer. We dig into the critical role of operational data, the challenges of merging legacy systems during rapid M&A, and how Michael’s “customer-first, data-backed” approach surfaced hidden margin leaks and fueled exponential growth.

We discuss:
• Why blending deep IT and business management experience is a game-changer for aspiring CIOs
• How to use “on-time complete” as a north star metric for operational excellence and customer satisfaction
• Building practical, shop-floor-ready dashboards from legacy ERP (AS400) data…no fancy tech required!
• Tackling the chaos of multi-ERP sprawl during acquisitions, and the real-world playbook for BI consolidation
• The critical moment data revealed that “biggest” wasn’t “best” in customer profitability, and how that changed strategy
• Avoiding expensive data horror stories by investing in process, clarity, and business alignment (not just tech)

Michael also unpacks the evolving opportunity at the intersection of manufacturing, private equity, AI, and cybersecurity, and why now is the perfect time for smaller, data-savvy firms to leapfrog their competition.

If you’re a CIO-in-waiting, PE-backed operator, or just want to hear how relentless focus on data and process can drive world-class outcomes, you won’t want to miss this episode.

Connect with Michael: 
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfranklin/ 
📧 Email: mike@coldironcapital.com

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In this episode of The DATA SECRETS Podcast, I talk with Nat Estes, Managing Director at FrameShift Consulting, about the critical (and often underestimated) role of workforce data in industrial location strategy and site selection.

Nat walks us through how labor market intelligence can make or break a location decision, especially in today’s tight labor market. We discuss:

• Why labor availability is the deciding factor in most industrial site decisions
• How to assess workforce supply beyond just “number of people” metrics
• The importance of turnover, competition, and wage pressure in long-term planning
• How FrameShift models future labor market conditions for its clients
• The ripple effects of labor shortages on productivity and operational cost
• Common pitfalls companies fall into when choosing a location without deep data analysis

From advanced manufacturing to logistics, Nat’s insights reveal how companies can avoid costly mistakes and ensure their next facility is set up for sustainable success. If you’ve ever wondered how labor economists blend hard data with local realities, this conversation is packed with answers.

Connect with Nat
🔗 LinkedIn
🌐 FrameShift Consulting

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In this episode of The DATA SECRETS Podcast, I sit down with Luke Komiskey, founder and CEO of DataDrive, a managed analytics consulting company that helps organizations turn data chaos into business clarity.

Luke shares how his journey from corporate analytics leader to entrepreneur revealed a massive gap in how most businesses think about (and act on) their data. We dig into:

• Why most “data strategies” fail to produce meaningful impact
• How managed analytics bridges the gap for organizations that can’t justify a full in-house data team
• The hidden costs of under-utilized BI platforms like Power BI and Tableau
• Practical ways to measure the actual ROI of analytics initiatives
• Why starting with the business problem (not the data) changes everything
• Lessons learned from scaling DataDrive’s team and client base across industries

From uncovering small changes that lead to big wins, to building a repeatable process for data maturity, Luke brings an operator’s and founder’s lens to what it really takes to make analytics drive revenue, efficiency, and innovation.

Connect with Luke
🔗 LinkedIn
🌐 DataDrive

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On this first episode of The DATA SECRETS Podcast, we sit down with Chris LaFay, founder of Classic City Consulting, to uncover how he grew his web development agency from scrappy freelancer beginnings to a million-dollar business AND the data insights that saved him from running into an iceberg. 

Chris shares:

• Why building a foundation to last 5–10 years is more valuable than chasing trends
• The two North Star metrics that keep his agency healthy: effective hourly rate and days to zero dollars
• How “friendly” scope creep was killing profitability AND the project management changes that fixed it
• A surprising operational shift that turned around client happiness and margins
• Why even the smallest email list is an untapped goldmine for agency growth

We also get into the nitty-gritty of agency pricing models, managing contractors vs. full-time staff, and how Chris’ fractional CFO (shoutout to Tony!) helped him see the hidden problems in his financials.

If you run a creative or service-based business, this conversation will help you think differently about your numbers... and maybe even sleep better at night.

Connect with Chris
🔗 LinkedIn
🌐 Classic City Consulting

Connect with Tony Wilson (tell him we sent you!)
📊 ACCQUIP: https://www.accquip.com/

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🎙 Welcome to the DATA SECRETS podcast, where we treat business data like a crime scene.

I'm Nathan Settembrini, your host and the co-founder of Allegro Analytics. In this pilot episode, I’m introducing what this show is all about: cracking the case on messy metrics, uncovering what really drives business performance, and learning from leaders who turn insight into action.

Think of it like a true crime podcast, but for business intelligence and data analytics.

🔍 In future episodes, you’ll hear from executives, entrepreneurs, practitioners, and data detectives who’ve uncovered million-dollar insights hiding in plain sight.

If you work with data, lead a team, or want to think more critically about what your numbers are really telling you, this show is for you.

Subscribe and stick around. The truth is in the data, if you know how to find it.

Follow the DATA SECRETS Podcast

📬 Get episode recaps & bonus insights at allegroanalytics.com/podcast
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