
Making Data Simple
Hosted by Al Martin, WW VP of Technical Sales at IBM, Making Data Simple cuts through the hype to reveal how data and AI reshape the modern enterprise.Thought leaders, researchers, and innovators share firsthand lessons on leading teams, scaling analytics, and driving real-world impact—delivered in Al’s signature straightforward, witty style.Tune in to Making Data Simple today. From data and AI breakthroughs to leadership hacks, top experts drop actionable gems that help businesses thrive in a data-driven world. #MakingDataSimple #AI #Leadership
Latest episodes

Feb 6, 2019 • 6min
IBM Think 2019 Preview, with Jayson Gehri - Making Data Simple [Season 3 - Episode 5]
Send us a textJayson Gehri directs the marketing team for Hybrid Data Management at IBM, following roles as marketing director for Dell and Quest Software. In this special episode, he lets us know what to watch for as IBM kicks off its annual THINK Conference, happening this year in the heart of downtown San Francisco from February 12th to the 15th.---------------------Shownotes00:00 - Check us out on YouTube and SoundCloud! 00:05 - Be sure to check out other MDS episodes here! 00:10 - Connect with Producer Steve Moore on LinkedIn & Twitter 00:15 - Connect with Producer Liam Seston on LinkedIn & Twitter 00:20 - Connect with Producer Rachit Sharma on LinkedIn 00:25 - Connect with Host Al Martin on LinkedIn & Twitter 00:40 – Connect with Jayson Gehri on LinkedIn & Twitter 00:55 – Get more info on THINK 01:30 – Pier 39 02:30 – Rob Thomas 02:35 – Arvind Krishna Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Jan 30, 2019 • 38min
Database Methods and the Finance Industry - Making Data Simple [Season 3 - Episode 4]
Send us a text Michael Willette, assistant vice president and technical fellow at USAA, comes on Making Data Simple to discuss database methods in the finance industry. Michael has an extensive, technical background as an architect and senior programmer. He shares his journey, current view on the market, emerging technologies, and more. Listen to gain some key industry insight. 959982------------------------Shownotes00:00 - Check us out on YouTube and SoundCloud!00:10 - Connect with producer Steve Moore on LinkedIn and Twitter00:15 - Connect with producer Liam Seston on LinkedIn and Twitter00:20 - Connect with producer Rachit Sharma on LinkedIn 00:25 - Connect with host Al Martin on LinkedIn and Twitter01:00 - Connect with guest Michael Willette on LinkedIn02:25 - What is user architecture? 03:32 - The HiPPO principle. 08:42 - Learn more about USAA.13:20 - The benefits of USAA.29:39 - What is IBM Global Elite?32:15 - The importance of listening to your clients.Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Jan 23, 2019 • 41min
Data Collaboration and A.I. with Adam Weinstein - Making Data Simple [Season 3 - Episode 3]
Send us a textAdam Weinstein is currently CEO and Co-Founder of Cursor, having worked at LinkedIn as a Senior Manager of Business Development and having founded enGreet, a print-on-demand greeting card company that merged crowd-sourcing with social expressions. In this episode, he describes his data analytics company and provides insight into creating a successful startup.-----------------------Shownotes 00:00 - Check us out on YouTube and SoundCloud! 00:10 - Connect with Producer Steve Moore on LinkedIn & Twitter 00:15 - Connect with Producer Liam Seston on LinkedIn & Twitter. 00:20 - Connect with Producer Rachit Sharma on LinkedIn. 00:25 - Connect with Host Al Martin on LinkedIn & Twitter. 00:55 - Connect with Adam Weinstein on LinkedIn. 03:55 - Find out more about Cursor. 06:45 - Learn more about Cursor's Co-Founder and CEO Adam Weinstein. 13:10 - Learn more about Big Data Analytics. 19:20 - What is Python/Jupyter Notebooks? 26:35 - Learn more about Data Fluency. 35:30 - What is a startup? Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Jan 16, 2019 • 1h 18min
Kansas City Keynote - Making Data Simple [Season 3 - Episode 2]
Send us a textHost Al Martin, IBM VP of Hybrid Data Management & Client Success, and Sam Lightstone, CTO for Data, IBM Fellow & Master Inventor, present their Kansas City Techweek keynote. They go over what it means to make data ready for AI, become data driven and acquire growth. They deliver key industry insights to drive performance in a way that is easily understandable, avoiding the jargon. Be sure to follow along with presentation slides attached below.-------------------00:00 - Download and follow along with the presentation slides here.00:00 - Check us out on YouTube and SoundCloud.00:10 - Connect with Producer Steve Moore on LinkedIn and Twitter.00:15 - Connect with Producer Liam Seston on LinkedIn and Twitter.00:20 - Connect with Producer Rachit Sharma on LinkedIn.00:25 - Connect with Host Al Martin on LinkedIn and Twitter.Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Jan 9, 2019 • 45min
Data and Tech in 2018: A Year in Review with Seth Dobrin - Making Data Simple [Season 3 - Episode 1]
Send us a textSeth Dobrin is back to kick off season 3 and reflect on data and tech in 2018. Seth Dobrin, vice president and Chief Data Officer of IBM Analytics, gives insight to leading the data science elite team, and he details the steps and strategies required to be successful in the field. Host Al Martin and Seth also make some data science predictions for 2019, letting you know what you should be looking out for in the year ahead.Shownotes: 00:00 - Check us out on YouTube and SoundCloud. 00:10 - Connect with Producer Steve Moore on LinkedIn and Twitter. 00:15 - Connect with Producer Liam Seston on LinkedIn and Twitter. 00:20 - Connect with Producer Rachit Sharma on LinkedIn. 00:25 - Connect with Host Al Martin on LinkedIn and Twitter. 00:55 – Connect with Seth Dobrin on LinkedIn and Twitter. 02:00 – Seth Dobrin’s first podcast from January 2018. 03:30 - What is data science? 04:25 - Seth Dobrin’s Blog: Don’t let data science become a scam. 10:55 - IBM Data Science Elite Team: Kickstart, build andaccelerate 31:55 - What is AI?37:58 - What are data pipelines? 41:55 - What is Blockchain?Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Jan 2, 2019 • 25min
Clips from our Top 5 Podcasts of 2018 - Making Data Simple [Replay]
Send us a textHost Al Martin looks back on his top 5 favourite clips from episodes published in 2018. These conversations range from explaining the importance of data visualization, to discussing the differences between A.I. and deep learning. Thanks to all of our listeners for an incredible 2018, and prepare yourself for Season 3 of the Making Data Simple podcast!Show Notes00:00 - Check us out on YouTube and SoundCloud! 00:10 - Connect with producer Liam Seston on LinkedIn and Twitter. 00:15 - Connect with producer Steve Moore on LinkedIn and Twitter. 00:24 - Connect with host Al Martin on LinkedIn and Twitter. 00:55 - Listen to the full conversation with Lisa Seacat DeLuca here.05:45 - Listen to the full conversation with John Thomas here.09:59 - Listen to the full conversation with Jillian Lellis here. 13:39 - Listen to the full conversation with Adam Storm here.18:36 - Listen to the full conversation with Jean Francois Puget here.Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Dec 26, 2018 • 28min
What's Next in the World of Data & Analytics - Making Data Simple [Replay]
Send us a textHappy holidays from the Making Data Simple team! Enjoy a rebroadcast of a conversation with Seth Dobrin, Vice President and Chief Data Officer for IBM Analytics, as he and Al explore the strategies and people your company needs to disrupt and succeed in the year ahead. Do you or your team members need new credentials to work in data? Seth also discusses what you need in your toolkit to be a data scientist at IBM.Show Notes00.30 Connect with Al Martin on Twitter and LinkedIn.01.00 Connect with Seth Dobrin on Twitter and LinkedIn.01.40 Read "What IBM looks for in a Data Scientist" by Seth Dobrin and Jean-Francois Puget.06.00 Learn more about GDPR. 13.00 Learn more about master data management.13.05 Learn more about unified governance and integration. 13.25 Learn more about machine learning. 14.00 Connect and learn more about Ginni Rometty. 14.40 Learn more about cognitive computing.19.35 Connect with Rob Thomas on Twitter and LinkedIn.21.00 Connect with Jean-Francois Puget on Twitter and LinkedIn.Follow @IBMAnalyticsWant to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Dec 19, 2018 • 42min
The Future of Agriculture with Jason Tatge - Making Data Simple [Season 2 - Episode 42]
Send us a textJason Tatge, CEO, president and cofounder of Farmobile, joins the show to discuss data in the agriculture industry. The conversation touches on Jason's experience launching a startup, tips for finding success, and the value of big data from a farmer's perspective. This episode gives insight to data science for one of the oldest and most important sectors in our society. Show Notes00:00 - Check us out on YouTube and SoundCloud.00:10 - Connect with producer Liam Seston on LinkedIn and Twitter.00:15 - Connect with producer Steve Moore on LinkedIn and Twitter.00:24 - Connect with host Al Martin on LinkedIn and Twitter.01:20 - Connect with guest Jason Tatge on LinkedIn and Twitter.04:24 - Get some insights to commodity trading.10:09 - Check out Farmobile.com.14:21 - Here are some more reasons why data collection in farming is so important.22:21 - How data collection in farming is driving greater efficiency.27:33 - Learn about pipeline entrepreneurs here.Follow @IBMAnalyticsWant to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Dec 12, 2018 • 46min
Big Data, Cloud, & Cognitive with Paul Zikopolous - Making Data Simple [Season 2- Episode 41]
Send us a textPaul Zikopolous, VP of big data cognitive systems at IBM, joins us to discuss tactics for both career and personal growth. Paul is also an established author and public speaker, and leverages experiences gained through those pursuits in the advice he gives. Have a pen and paper ready as there is a lot to take away from this enlightening conversation.Show notes00:00 - Check us out on YouTube.00:00 - We are now on Soundcloud.00:10 - Add producer Liam Seston on LinkedIn and Twitter. 00:15 - Add producer Steve Moore on LinkedIn and Twitter.00:25 - Add host Al Martin on LinkedIn and Twitter. 01:43 - Connect with Paul Zikopolous on LinkedIn and Twitter. 07:02 - Get up to speed with Watson Studio.10:16 - Develop a continuous learning lifestyle.14:27 - How to figure out what you want out of a job.20:55 - How to succeed with failure. 24:50 - "Get comfortable feeling uncomfortable." 30:54 - Here are some tips to make time for the gym.38:28 - "Don't let other people define you." Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Dec 5, 2018 • 39min
A.I. and the questions you didn't think to ask - Making Data Simple [Season 2 - Episode 40]
Send us a textIn the latest episode of "Making Data Simple," host Al Martin invites Jeff Jonas, CEO, founder and chief scientist at Senzing Inc. to discuss use cases of AI and big data. The discussion ranges from Jeff's personal achievements, his miraculous quadriplegic recovery, his completion of every global Ironman triathlon race, and the birth of his company Senzing Inc. Suit up for what is truly an engaging conversation. Show notes00:00 - Checkout our YouTube channel. 00:10 - Connect with producer Liam Seston on LinkedIn and Twitter.00:15 - Connect with producer Steve Moore on LinkedIn and Twitter.00:24 - Connect with host Al Martin on LinkedIn and Twitter.01:28 - Connect with guest Jeff Jonas on LinkedIn and Twitter.02:08 - Not sure what the difference between a triathlon and an Ironman triathlon is?02:28 - Here's how NORA and other security software applications are being employed in Las Vegas.13:22 - Here's an interesting article about parent/child naming conventions.16:26 - Check out Jeff's keynote at IBM Think 2018.18:55 - Check out these 6 other brands with the "try then buy" sales method.23:30 - Try out Senzing for yourself at senzing.com.27:41 - Get an inside look at what it's like to live in a hotel, full-time.31:49 - Need to brush up on Context Computing? Jeff Jonas explains it here.33:12 - Check out these 10 Ironman triathlon facts. Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.