The Blog
Articles and resources for small business owners, nonprofit leaders, and mid-market executives building something real.
Sustainability is all about responding to today's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. For businesses, this translates into operating in ways that are profitable in the long run, but also environmentally and socially responsible.
Managing your business finances doesn't have to be complicated. The easiest way to think about it is by comparing it to how we handle our personal finances — paying bills, building a rainy day fund, buying insurance.
Think about how you might organize your closet. You could sort clothes by color, season, or even how often you wear them. Clustering does the same thing for your data — it helps you group similar items and uncover patterns you didn't even know were there.
Imagine you run a subscription box business. You've segmented your customers by gender, location, and purchase frequency — but your campaigns still aren't driving the results you hoped for. Sometimes, the data you think is enough isn't telling the whole story.
Imagine you run a small bakery. A supplier offers you a great deal on a fancy new oven — essentially free. But a few months later, your profits are shrinking. Even a 'free' asset isn't always free.
Lessons from multidisciplinary innovation. The same skills that make a good anthropologist — deep listening, pattern recognition, comfort with ambiguity — turn out to make a pretty good CFO too.
Leadership is not a performance. The most effective leaders I've known are the ones who let their humanity show — who acknowledge when things are hard, who stay present with their teams, and who lead from a place of honesty.
Gratitude is more than a feel-good practice. When applied deliberately in a business context, it becomes a strategic tool for building culture, retaining talent, and sustaining momentum through hard seasons.
Giving Tuesday is the perfect opportunity to rally support for your mission. Whether you're planning for this year or setting the stage for the new year, these tips can help you maximize your impact and raise the funds you need.
Every business decision rests on assumptions. The danger isn't in making them — it's in not knowing you're making them. Here's how to surface the assumptions driving your strategy before they surface themselves.
Fear is often seen as something to overcome. But what if fear is actually a compass — pointing you toward the things that matter most and the growth that's waiting on the other side?
In the ever-evolving world of business, the path to success is often portrayed as a lonely one. At Big Data Tales, we believe it's time to change that — leaders with a robust support system are more likely to gain the competitive edge needed to thrive.
Technology has always driven evolution. Today, AI offers similar opportunities — it can elevate small businesses and create possibilities that never existed before. But it also poses a challenge for those who don't adapt.
I started Big Data Tales because I wanted to make good financial thinking accessible — combining what I learned as an anthropologist about how people make decisions with what I learned in finance about making numbers tell the truth.
After months of hard work and planning, Big Data Tales officially launches. This journey is about empowering small businesses and nonprofits to embrace the future, leverage data, and grow in ways that are sustainable and human-centered.
