In this lively episode of Data Malarkey, Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, is joined by Mark Bonner, Director of Football at Cambridge United. From academy coach to leading the club to shock cup victories, Bonner's football journey is anything but typical. Together, they explore the evolving role of data in football, the emotional highs and lows of managing a club, and what it really means to find balance between intuition and insight. Pep Guardiola's wild celebrations and Carlo Ancelotti's stoic eyebrow also make cameo appearances.

What you'll learn:

• How Mark Bonner's career evolved from grassroots to head coach and back to Director of Football at Cambridge United

• The role of data and analytics in modern football decision-making

• Why balance between emotional intelligence and cold, hard stats is crucial

• Behind-the-scenes realities of coaching, scouting, and club leadership

Resources mentioned:

• Cambridge United FC

• Mark Bonner on X

• Mark Bonner on Instagram

• Mark Bonner on LinkedIn

Want to learn more about Mark Bonner or Cambridge United? Check out the links in the show notes. And remember to subscribe for more episodes of Data Malarkey – the podcast about using data, smarter; where numbers meet nuance.

Recorded live at the DataComms 2025 conference in London, this very special episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast features Nick Ratcliffe, Customer Experience Director at Volkswagen Group UK. Host and master data storyteller, Sam Knowles, delves into how Nick and his team wield data to enhance customer experience, transform brand desirability, and prepare for the automotive industry’s electric future. With a career spanning leadership roles at BT, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz, Nick shares his evidence-based approach to marketing, the importance (and scarcity) of genuine insight, and a few personal stories from his eclectic selection of hobbies.

What You'll Learn:
• How VW Group UK uses data to be ever-more customer-centric
• Why insight is more than just data - it's about action
• The impact of behavioural economics and marketing science
• Nick’s view on the future of automotive CX in the EV era
• How storytelling and science intersect in successful marketing

Resources Mentioned:

• Volkswagen Group UK

• Nick Ratcliffe on LinkedIn

• Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard

Make sure to like and subscribe for more episodes.

We’ve reached 51 episodes and wrapped Season 7 of Data Malarkey! In this greatest hits episode, host Sam Knowles shares the most powerful moments from a season packed with insights—from AI ethics to data puppets, from psychology and kindness to practical business transformation.

Revisit brilliant guests like Sylvie Delacroix, Julie Holmes, Cecilia Dones, Robin Banerjee, Adam Davidson, and Scott Taylor, all of whom shared their real-world, often surprising, insights on how to use data smarter.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to rethink AI through the lens of humility and uncertainty
  
  

• The ethics of online trust and virtual relationships
  
  

• Why businesses need to upgrade soft skills, not just systems
  
  

• The power of kindness in society and psychology
  
  

• How satire and puppets explain data better than PowerPoint ever could
  
  

Special Mentions:

• Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard
  
  

• Guest Application Form
  
  

• Subscribe on YouTube: Data Malarkey
  
  

🧠 "Best of AI & Empathy"
or
📊 "Greatest Hits: Data Gets Human"

In this energising episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, Master Data Storyteller Sam Knowles speaks with Julie Holmes, entrepreneur, inventor, and AI advisor. Julie shares her insights into how businesses can make AI work with their people – not instead of them. She dives into creative automation, ethical AI, and the dangers of dabbling without direction.

From her practical UPGRADE Framework to her “intern not genius” approach to creating effective prompts for LLMs, Julie delivers a candid, actionable masterclass on the human side of AI.

What You'll Learn:

• Why AI should be seen as an intern – not a threat.

• How to scale creativity and automation.

• What most businesses get wrong about AI readiness.

• The ethical responsibilities we must now embrace.

• How to build smarter prompts that actually deliver results.
  
  

Resources Mentioned:

• Julie Holmes’ website: https://www.julieholmes.com
  
  

• Julie’s AI readiness assessment for businesses: https://julieholmes.com/ai-readiness-assessment-2025/

• The AI prompt library and archive https://julieholmes.com/prompt/

• Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com
  
  

• The Insight Agents’ website – Sam Knowles’ business, including the archive of Data Malarkey podcast episodes: https://insightagents.co.uk

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If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, and don’t forget to follow and subscribe for a new episode every fortnight!

In this episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, host Sam Knowles welcomes Scott Taylor, The Data Whisperer, to break down why data storytelling is the missing business skill in the world of AI, analytics, and business intelligence.

Scott shares why he believes in Truth Before Meaning, the idea that businesses need clean, structured data before they can extract meaningful insights. He also explains why tech jargon is holding the data industry back, why business leaders don’t care how data works, and how he’s making the world of data more relatable through Data Puppets.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• The biggest mistakes data leaders make when presenting to executives

• Why data management is the foundation for AI success

• How to tell data stories that business leaders actually understand

• The origins of Data Puppets and why humour matters in data

Resources Mentioned:

• Scott Taylor’s book: Telling Your Data Story (Amazon)

• Scott’s YouTube Channel: The Data Whisperer

• Data Puppets: www.datapuppets.com

• Scott’s 2024 Big Data London keynote – “Data is the new bullsh*t” www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LRVF-1nGPQ

• “The Little Red Data Hen” www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBFwiGN3XK0

• The DataVengers: www.datacated.com/datavengers

• Data Storytelling Scorecard: data-storytelling.scoreapp.com

Join the Conversation:

• Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: data-storytelling.scoreapp.com

• Follow the podcast for more insights on data, storytelling, and business communication.

Connect with Us:

• Scott Taylor: LinkedIn | MetaMeta Consulting

• Sam Knowles: https://insightagents.co.uk

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If you enjoyed this episode, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. It helps us reach more people who care about data and storytelling!

Is kindness just a “soft” concept, or is there real science behind it? In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, Master Data Storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Professor Robin Banerjee, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement at the University of Sussex. Robin’s research explores the psychology of kindness, empathy, and human connection, revealing how data can unlock powerful insights about our social world.

From leading the BBC Kindness Test – a groundbreaking study with over 60,000 participants – to his work on how fiction and television shape empathy, Robin shares fascinating insights about the science of human connection. He also explains why he finds joy in data – a phrase that might just change how you see statistics forever.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The psychology behind kindness—what drives it, and how we measure it

• Surprising insights from the BBC Kindness Test

• How fiction and TV shape our ability to empathise

• The joy in data and why it’s more than just numbers

• Why understanding human behaviour through research is so important

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
01:27 - Robin Banerjee’s career and research focus
07:43 - What makes someone kind?
13:53 - The BBC Kindness Test: Key findings
20:02 - The psychology of human connection
30:36 - Finding joy in data
39:07 - Empathy and storytelling: fiction vs reality
45:00 - What TV tells us about our emotions
50:30 - Where to find out more about Robin’s research

About our guest:

Professor Robin Banerjee is a leading researcher in developmental psychology and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement at the University of Sussex. His work focuses on kindness, empathy, and social development, and he is the founder of the Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness.

Robin’s research has been featured widely, including his collaboration with BBC Radio 4 on the Kindness Test, the largest study of its kind, exploring how people experience and perceive kindness across different cultures and communities.

Resources mentioned:

• Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness on the University of Sussex website

• BBC Kindness Test: BBC Radio 4

• Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com

• Sam Knowles’ website: https://www.insightagents.co.uk

Join the conversation:

• Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com

• Follow the podcast for more insights on psychology, data, and human behaviour.

Connect with us:

• Robin Banerjee: University of Sussex profile

• Sam Knowles: LinkedIn profile

Rate, Review, and Follow!

Enjoyed the episode? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps us bring more thought-provoking discussions to you!

In this engaging episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, Master Data Storyteller and host Sam Knowles welcomes Cecilia Dones, a thought leader in data, AI, and human connection. Ceci explores how technology shapes the way we interact, trust, and build relationships—both online and offline. She shares insights into AI ethics, uncertainty in machine learning, and why trust is the cornerstone of all our digital futures.

From her work in AI ethics to her philosophy on leadership and adaptability, Ceci provides fresh perspectives on the best ways to navigate the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on data, trust, and what it means to be human in the age of AI.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why trust in digital interactions is becoming harder to establish

• The role of AI in shaping human relationships and decision-making

• How uncertainty in AI responses from LLMs may be an advantage not a weakness

• The power of adaptability and why labels limit creativity

• Why leaders need to embrace ambiguity in the AI era

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
01:27 - Cecilia Dones on connections and human-centred technology
07:43 - Why trust in digital spaces is complicated
13:53 - How AI influences our relationships and decision-making
20:02 - The challenge of uncertainty in AI models
30:36 - Leadership, adaptability, and embracing ambiguity
39:07 - No Labels: Why Ceci avoids definitions and fixed roles
45:00 - The ethical dilemmas of AI, privacy, and consent
50:30 - Where Cecilia Dones is sharing her work and insights

About our guest:

Cecilia Dones is a data and analytics practitioner-academic, founder of 3 Standard Deviations, with expertise spanning Fortune 500 companies and academia. She specialises in AI applications, technology's impact on human interactions, and bridging data insights across sectors. Currently, she is completing her doctoral studies on interpersonal trust in digital environments. She holds degrees from NYU Stern and Columbia University. She has taught at top business schools and authors the "Authentic Interactions" newsletter on Substack exploring technology, data, authenticity, and trust.

Resources mentioned:

• Cecilia Dones’ Substack: Authentic Interactions

• Ceci’s LinkedIn newsletter “What is a CMO to do with AI?”

• Data Storytelling Scorecard: data-storytelling.scoreapp.com

Join the conversation:

• Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: data-storytelling.scoreapp.com

• Follow the podcast for more insights on AI, data, and leadership

Connect with us:

• Cecilia Dones: LinkedIn | Substack blog – https://authenticinteractions.substack.com

• Sam Knowles: LinkedIn

Rate, review, and follow!

Enjoyed the episode? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps us bring more thought-provoking discussions to you.