Episodi

  • What It Actually Takes to Be Seen as Strategic at Work | Janet Kim

    What It Actually Takes to Be Seen as Strategic at Work | Janet Kim
    Apr 28 2026
    Level up your communication as an early career analyst with free weekly insights:
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    Janet Kim is a senior technology leader, career coach, and TED Talk speaker who spent 16 years at Stanford University. She has spent her career at the intersection of strategy, digital transformation, and people - and she has been on the other side of the table making the decisions that most analysts never get to hear about.

    If you've ever wondered what your stakeholders are actually thinking — this episode is for you.

    Chapters:
    00:00 — Introduction
    00:16 — The Moment She Realized Hard Work Wasn't Enough
    00:58 — The Vicious Cycle of Overworking
    04:20 — Stop Thinking About Yourself — Start Thinking About Others
    05:00 — The Email Story That Changed Everything
    07:32 — The Airline Ticket Analogy for Strategy
    10:22 — Three Questions to Ask Every Stakeholder
    12:11 — Build Your Strategic Visibility Map
    14:12 — Being the Other Is Actually Your Strength
    19:48 — Nunchi, Chung, and Han
    24:11 — Do Analysts Deserve a Seat at the Table?
    28:52 — What Leaders Look for Before Promoting Someone
    30:10 — Your Personal Brand Gap
    33:26 — Final Thoughts

    Follow Janet Kim on LinkedIn: janetkimjk

    Quietly Ambitious Analyst
    Weekly emails for early career analysts: https://bit.ly/4pjUoz9
    Learn how to confidently communicate your findings: https://bit.ly/4qJ3o2d
    Free Resource - Top 10 Analyst Questions Before Touching Data: https://bit.ly/4sxbixl


    The Quietly Ambitious Analyst–where business context meets data communication.

    Listen anywhere | Follow @quietlyambitiousanalyst | Join the newsletter at https://www.subscribepage.io/subscribe-enewsletter
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    35 min
  • Why the Best Analysts Aren't Always the Most Technical Ones | Marianna Simonian

    Why the Best Analysts Aren't Always the Most Technical Ones | Marianna Simonian
    Apr 21 2026
    Level up your communication as an early-career analyst with free weekly insights⁠
    Marianna Simonian is a tech futurist, former HR analyst, entrepreneur, and author who has built multiple startups and communities supporting women in tech — all while navigating the same self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and career uncertainty that most analysts feel but rarely talk about.

    In this conversation, she shares why your ability to figure things out matters more than your technical skills, how AI is making soft skills the new competitive advantage, what it means to be an agent of change, no matter your job title, and why the best thing you can do for your career right now is stop overthinking and start moving.

    If you've ever wondered whether being good at your job is actually enough, this episode is for you.
    Chapter List
    00:00 — Introduction
    02:56 — Why Perfectionism Kills Progress
    04:29 — The Gap in the Market She Couldn't Ignore
    07:28 — The Feeling of Never Doing Enough09:24 — Your Career and Your Life Are Not Separate
    13:40 — How to Be Honest with Yourself
    16:15 — Why Growth Requires a New Version of You
    17:18 — She Wasn't the Most Technical. She Got Hired Anyway.
    19:24 — How Every Analyst Can Be a Change Agent
    21:14 — Why Hard Skills Are No Longer Enough
    23:42 — The Moment She Refused to Accept the Doubt
    27:50 — Final Thoughts

    Follow Marianna on LinkedIn:
    ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/smarianna24/⁠

    The Female Career Tao:
    ⁠https://femalecareertao.online/⁠

    Quietly Ambitious Analyst — Weekly emails for early career analysts:
    ⁠https://bit.ly/4pjUoz9⁠

    Learn how to confidently communicate your findings:
    ⁠https://bit.ly/4qJ3o2d⁠

    Free Resource — Top 10 Analyst Questions Before Touching Data:
    ⁠https://bit.ly/4sxbixl

    The Quietly Ambitious Analyst–where business context meets data communication.

    Listen anywhere | Follow @quietlyambitiousanalyst | Join the newsletter at https://www.subscribepage.io/subscribe-enewsletter
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    29 min
  • What Your Manager Actually Needs From You (A Director Tells All)

    What Your Manager Actually Needs From You (A Director Tells All)
    Apr 21 2026
    Aaron Wilkerson has spent nearly two decades in data and analytics — working his way up from individual contributor to Director of Data Strategy and Product at Carhartt. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on what leadership actually looks like from the other side: how directors prioritize requests, what it really means to bring an idea to your manager, why staying comfortable in your role is a quiet career risk, and why even senior leaders are figuring out AI as they go.

    If you've ever wondered what your manager is thinking — this episode is for you.
    In this episode:

    Why there's no single "right answer" in data work
    How to bring ideas to leadership in a way that actually gets traction
    What directors look for when prioritizing analyst requests
    The difference between AI and automation (and why it matters for your career)
    Why building empathy for your manager can change everything

    Follow Aaron on LinkedIn:
    ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-wilkerson-81bb21a/⁠

    Quietly Ambitious Analyst — Weekly emails for early career analysts:
    ⁠https://bit.ly/4pjUoz9⁠

    Learn how to confidently communicate your findings:
    ⁠https://bit.ly/4qJ3o2d⁠

    Free Resource — Top 10 Analyst Questions Before Touching Data:
    ⁠https://bit.ly/4sxbixl

    The Quietly Ambitious Analyst–where business context meets data communication.

    Listen anywhere | Follow @quietlyambitiousanalyst | Join the newsletter at https://www.subscribepage.io/subscribe-enewsletter
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    34 min
  • Root Cause, Not Just Reporting | The Real Job of a Supply Chain Analyst

    Root Cause, Not Just Reporting | The Real Job of a Supply Chain Analyst
    Apr 21 2026
    Weekly Newsletter for Early Career Analysts:
    https://bit.ly/4pjUoz9

    If you don’t understand the process behind the numbers, you’re probably solving the wrong problem.

    In this episode, Senior Supply Chain Data Analyst Oun Muhammad shares what the job actually looks like beyond the dashboard - from tracing root causes on the warehouse floor to working cross-functionally with teams to understand what’s really happening behind the data. We talk about why strong analysts don’t just report on outcomes, how communication shapes the quality of your analysis, and what early career analysts need to focus on if they want their work to actually drive decisions.

    Follow Oun Muhammad:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ounmuhammad/Quietly

    Ambitious Analyst Weekly emails for early career analysts: https://bit.ly/4pjUoz9

    The Analyst Edge: https://bit.ly/4qJ3o2d

    The Quietly Ambitious Analyst–where business context meets data communication.

    Listen anywhere | Follow @quietlyambitiousanalyst | Join the newsletter at https://www.subscribepage.io/subscribe-enewsletter
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    28 min
  • The Hidden Work That Holds the Data Community Together | Natalia Kotova

    The Hidden Work That Holds the Data Community Together | Natalia Kotova
    Apr 21 2026
    Weekly Newsletter for Early Career Analysts:
    https://bit.ly/4pjUoz9

    Most people think a career in data is built through technical skill alone, but often what shapes your growth most is the community around you, the people you learn from, and the spaces where you feel seen.

    In this episode, Natalia Kotova, Project Director at Think Linkers, shares how she built a career connecting the global data community through events, why she created She Leads to amplify women’s voices, and what professionals at every stage should understand about belonging, visibility, and building something meaningful before they feel fully ready.

    Quietly Ambitious Analyst Weekly emails for early career analysts: https://bit.ly/4pjUoz9
    The Analyst Edge: https://bit.ly/4qJ3o2d

    The Quietly Ambitious Analyst–where business context meets data communication.

    Listen anywhere | Follow @quietlyambitiousanalyst | Join the newsletter at https://www.subscribepage.io/subscribe-enewsletter
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    21 min
  • How to Teach People How to Treat You at Work - with Tash Durkins

    How to Teach People How to Treat You at Work - with Tash Durkins
    Apr 21 2026
    Weekly Newsletter for Early Career Analysts:
    https://bit.ly/4pjUoz9

    Most early career professionals know something feels off at work, but they don't know how to change it without risking the relationship or their reputation.

    In this episode, executive coach and leadership strategist Tash Durkins shares exactly how she stopped her boss from texting her after hours, how she handled a colleague who never acknowledged her team's wins, and why the most powerful career move you can make is simply learning to speak up before things go too far.

    Chapters:
    00:00 Why most people are hiding at work
    00:56 The moment Tash stopped trying to fit in
    02:41 Why vulnerability is actually a career superpower
    05:09 Why the most successful people have failed the most
    06:31 You don't have to choose between being real and being professional
    08:33 How to stay hopeful when everything feels hard
    21:15 The simple question that stopped her boss from texting after hours
    22:57 How to reset a work relationship when you've let things slide
    25:36 What psychological safety actually looks like on a team
    29:26 How to have the conversation you've been avoiding
    34:59 How to own your wins without sounding arrogant
    38:35 The world needs you to show up as yourself

    Follow Tash Durkins: LinkedIn: /tashdurkins
    Website: www.tashdurkins.com

    Quietly Ambitious Analyst Weekly emails for early career analysts: https://bit.ly/4pjUoz9
    The Analyst Edge: https://bit.ly/4qJ3o2d

    The Quietly Ambitious Analyst–where business context meets data communication.

    Listen anywhere | Follow @quietlyambitiousanalyst | Join the newsletter at https://www.subscribepage.io/subscribe-enewsletter
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    44 min
  • What Actually Makes a Great Data Analyst - Nathan Jones

    What Actually Makes a Great Data Analyst - Nathan Jones
    Apr 21 2026
    Weekly Newsletter for Early Career Analysts:⁠ https://bit.ly/4pjUoz9⁠

    Data isn't just dashboards — it's a reflection of decisions, politics, and organizational maturity.

    In this episode, data veteran and Calon founder Nathan Jones joins us to cut through 25 years of consulting noise and tell you what "data-driven" actually means in practice.

    For early career analysts, this is a masterclass in understanding why your most important skills have nothing to do with Power BI or SQL.

    Learn why "single source of truth" is harder than it sounds, why data governance isn't actually your job, and why the analysts who will thrive in the next five years are the ones who understand the business — not just the tools.

    Chapters:
    00:00 Intro
    00:40 The hardest lesson to learn
    02:00 4 business chemistry pillars Nathan learned at Deloitte
    05:54 What "data-driven" actually looks like in practice
    10:04 Single source of truth vs. competing sources of truth
    14:20 Nathan’s take: Why data governance isn't the analyst's job 1
    5:55 What makes a standout analyst beyond technical skills
    17:22 Why domain specialization matters more than ever in the age of AI

    Follow Nathan Jones:LinkedIn:⁠ ⁠⁠Nathan Jones | LinkedIn⁠
    Website: https://www.calonanalytics.com

    Quietly Ambitious Analyst
    Weekly emails for early career analysts:⁠ https://bit.ly/4pjUoz9⁠
    Learn how to confidently communicate your findings:⁠ https://bit.ly/4qJ3o2d⁠
    Free Resource - Top 10 Analyst Questions Before Touching Data:⁠ https://bit.ly/4sxbixl

    The Quietly Ambitious Analyst–where business context meets data communication.

    Listen anywhere | Follow @quietlyambitiousanalyst | Join the newsletter at https://www.subscribepage.io/subscribe-enewsletter
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    19 min
  • How to communicate your insights like a senior analyst (4Cs of communication framework, part 2)

    How to communicate your insights like a senior analyst (4Cs of communication framework, part 2)
    Apr 21 2026
    Listen to Part 1: How to communicate your insights like a senior analyst (3Cs framework): https://open.spotify.com/episode/4UsWDt3yW3YtjNRyds48l1?si=34d6086d76164844In

    Part 2 of the 7Cs communication framework, these last 4 Cs break down specific strategies you can use to improve your communication with stakeholders.

    Intro to Part 2 00:55
    The Fourth C 03:15
    The Fifth C 05:21
    The Sixth C 06:45
    The Seventh C 09:58
    losing

    Ready to go deeper? Check out The Analyst Edge (8-week course): https://www.quietlyambitiousanalyst.com/the-analyst-edge

    Level up your communication as an early career analyst with free weekly insights: https://www.subscribepage.io/subscribe-enewsletter

    The Quietly Ambitious Analyst–where business context meets data communication.

    Listen anywhere | Follow @quietlyambitiousanalyst | Join the newsletter at https://www.subscribepage.io/subscribe-enewsletter
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    12 min