Mining Your Own Business Podcast Elder Research

On the show today, Evan sits down with Isaac Collazo, Vice President of Analytics at STR. Isaac shares how he got started in the travel and hotel industry, and how he’s seen data analytics in the hotel space take off and advance over time. He discusses what type of data STR works with and how they strategize delivering key insights to their clients. Isaac and Evan also discuss what it takes to be a successful data analyst on these types of projects, highlighting crucial characteristics such as creativity, play, and drive. Finally, Isaac speaks on opportunities he sees in the hospitality industry and in his current role at STR.  
  
Key Takeaways:  
🛎️ How STR provides insights from data to inform hotel progress and strategy 
🛎️ Opportunities for increased consumer understanding via hotel data 
🛎️ The importance of creativity and perseverance as a data analyst 
🛎️ How increased time and resources allow for long-term high-level analysis 
  
Quotes:  
💬 People who are on the data side have to be creative and have to just love to play with data because if you don't, then it's a pretty boring job. 
— Isaac Collazo 


💬 I think there's a lot more space – not ability, but opportunity to do more with that data [in the hotel space]. 
— Isaac Collazo 


💬 I'm looking for is someone who is very creative and who has more of a strategy mindset. Not only can they use data, but they understand that we've got to get to a decision or an outcome. 
— Isaac Collazo 
 


Featured in this episode: 
Evan Wimpey , Director of Analytics Strategy at Elder Research.
Company website: www.elderresearch.com  
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-wimpey/  
  
Isaac Collazo, VP of Analytics at STR
As a seasoned analytics professional, Isaac Collazo believes that data is not everything and understands the value of relationships when immersing himself in an industry to truly understand its people and experiences. 

He is the VP of Analytics at STR where he solidifies the company's analytical methodology, assists with integration into CoStar's digital platform, and unifies products and services to provide a single, reliable source of knowledge for the Hotel Industry. He is an expert in delivering meticulously curated insights based on industry knowledge and encourages others to make a personal investment in the insights they uncover. His easy-to-digest knowledge ensures recipients can apply it to their own business performance for an informed and successful future. 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaaccollazo/  



Chapters:  
00:00 Introduction  
00:57 Isaac’s background in the travel & hotel industries 
02:52 How Isaac got started in data collection for hotel decision-making 
05:35 The type of data and benchmarking that STR provides 
11:55 What it takes to be successful on an analytics team 
16:54 Insights from consumer data: seeking to learn more 
20:05 Working with data in the hotel industry: the importance of time & resources 
21:18 A new mindset 


Find more show notes, transcripts, & more episodes at:
https://www.elderresearch.com/resource/podcasts/

Today we welcome to the show Eric Sims, Senior Analyst of Strategy and Analytics at LendingTree, an online lending marketplace. Eric and host Evan Wimpey discuss the process of getting projects off the ground, ways of making analytics accessible to business units and stakeholders, and gaining alignment on business endeavors. Eric also shares how he has been enriched by personal investigative data projects, and tips for others endeavoring on a side project. Finally, Eric speaks about the importance of understanding one’s clients and truly putting oneself in their shoes. We hope you enjoy this insightful episode! 
 
Key Takeaways: 
🌳 How LendingTree communicates and coordinates its projects amongst various teams 
🌳 How to make analytics accessible to non-technical stakeholders 
🌳 How M&Ms helped team members feel more comfortable with data concepts 
🌳 Ways to truly understand and immerse oneself in a customer’s experience 
 
Quotes: 
💬 The most valuable thing to me, and I think to any company... is knowing your customer – and knowing not just your customers’ data, but knowing your customers’ voices and their problems. 
— Eric Sims 
 
💬 I really like teaching and showing and sharing. Here's how you can do it. Ask me when you forget later. And we'll just keep practicing through it.  
— Eric Sims 
 
💬 The most important thing when it comes to you have a list of projects you want to do: pick one you like, just pick one that you're interested in. Because even if you are working on something you like, sometimes it's a slog. And so you gotta want it. 
— Eric Sims 
 
Featured in this episode:
Evan Wimpey
Director of Analytics Strategy at Elder Research.
Company website: www.elderresearch.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-wimpey/ 
 
Eric Sims, Sr. Analyst, Strategy & Analytics 
Eric’s personal brand can be summed up in one word: originality. He’s always in search of new and interesting ways to approach learning and problem solving. He currently works as a Sr. Data Analyst at LendingTree, supporting the Small Business vertical, and in his free time he builds machine learning applications. He’s also interested in how recommenders can be used to connect social networks, and his latest project is a tea recommender system. 
Besides working and building side projects, Eric contributes to the LinkedIn data science community, plays paintball in VR, travels with his partner, and does normal home stuff (#RealLife). 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericsims2/  


LendingTree is hiring! Check out current opportunities here:
https://www.lendingtree.com/careers/jobs/

Chapters: 
00:00 Introduction 
01:00 Eric’s background and how he got into analytics 
03:12 Eric’s role and projects at LendingTree 
06:47 How do new projects start? 
09:52 Biggest challenges to getting projects from ideation to final product 
13:54 Communicating data terminology: making analytics accessible  
17:41 Lightbulb moments: making data make sense with M&M’s 
21:33 Eric’s personal projects: learning new skills 
28:33 Truly understanding the customer
Find more show notes, transcripts, & more episodes at:
https://www.elderresearch.com/resource/podcasts/

On today’s episode, Francisco Rius gives us an exclusive look into the data world of the ever-popular video game Minecraft. Francisco is the Head of Data Science and Data Engineering with a background in business economics and marketing. He and host Evan Wimpey discuss his journey to his current role at Minecraft and how data insights are used to improve each player’s experience. Francisco shares how a relationship-oriented approach that prioritizes social listening is crucial to the game’s long-term success. They discuss what it takes to have a strong data team in a creative field. Finally, Francisco wraps up by sharing his vision for the intersection of AI in video games. Tune in for an enlightening and inspiring conversation. 

Key Takeaways:
⛏️ How data have provided insights to improve Minecraft over the past twelve years 
⛏️ How Minecraft practices social listening to provide the best game experience possible for their players 
⛏️ The different skills and expertise needed for a strong, creative data science team 
⛏️ How AI opens new worlds of possibilities for the video game industry 


Quotes:
💬 A lot of times the relationship aspect of working in big corporations is multiplied times 10 when you're working in creative industries as well. So that relationship aspect is really important...[a new hire’s] ability to make friends and the emotional intelligence aspect of working shoulder-to-shoulder with folks that see the world in a little bit of a different light. 
— Francisco Rius 


💬 I feel like data science and analytics teams are maturing to be subject matter experts alongside decision-makers. And we're seeing a little bit of a reduction in the number of layers of translation that happens between the data insight and the decision. 
— Francisco Rius 


💬 The strategy for Minecraft really is: Hey, we want to create a relationship with our players that will last for the next 10, 20, 50 years. 
— Francisco Rius 


Featured in this episode:
Evan Wimpey
Director of Analytics Strategy at Elder Research.
Company website: www.elderresearch.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-wimpey/ 


Francisco Rius   
Head of Data Science and Data Engineering, Minecraft at Microsoft
Francisco leads the data science and data engineering efforts for one of the biggest video game franchises in the world.  He is passionate about the intersection of art and science, where video game makers can use data-driven insights to improve player experiences and outcomes.  Minecraft is one of the best-selling video games of all time, with over 120 million active players per month.  Before joining the Minecraft franchise at Microsoft, Francisco led the analytics group for Electronic Arts’ FIFA, NHL, and UFC franchises.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franciscorius/

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction 
02:03 Francisco’s background and how he got to his role at Minecraft 
06:01 How data has provided insights over Minecraft’s lifetime 
09:44 Social listening at Minecraft 
12:54 Partnerships in academia and Microsoft 
15:26 Art & Science: fostering relationships between creatives and data scientists 
19:46 A well-rounded data science team: working in tandem with subject matter experts 
24:35 Balancing short-term and long-term change 
28:41 Francisco’s vision for the future: AI in video games 


Find more show notes, transcripts, & more episodes at:
https://www.elderresearch.com/resource/podcasts/

On today’s episode, we welcome Rob Horrobin to the show. Rob is Pacific Life’s AVP of Data Science where he leads the Advanced Analytics Center of Enablement. You’ll hear Rob and Evan discuss the Center of Enablement and how it supports data science efforts across the organization. Rob describes their "Do-Partner-Support" strategy, which governs how they support internal clients while also creating possibilities for true transformation. We’ll also hear about the intersection between actuarial science, data science, and engineering, as well as the importance of varied skill sets and backgrounds in data science professions. Rob and Evan end by exploring the future paths of analytics capabilities. 


Key Takeaways:  
📈How the Center of Enablement supports learning and transformation 
📈How experience in multiple fields can build complimentary skillsets for successful data science projects 
📈 How to successfully partner with clients to implement a data project 
📈Tips for those currently in or seeking careers in data science 
  
Quotes:  
💬 I was a career-switcher, I was in pre-business school where I actually did mechanical engineering in the shipbuilding industry.
— Rob Horrobin

💬 Starting with the end in mind — it's great to build a model, but you have to make sure that it's fit for its purpose. In the end, how are the folks gonna consume it?
— Rob Horrobin

💬 If an actuary's a quarterback, a data scientist is a running back and an engineer could be a tight end — very complimentary skills, but not one-to-one. Where I get really excited is when an actuary and a data scientist and a data engineer rally around a problem and say, “how do we kind of make this thing work better?”
— Rob Horrobin

Featured in this episode:  
Evan Wimpey 
Director of Analytics Strategy at Elder Research. 
Company website: www.elderresearch.com 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-wimpey/  
Rob Horrobin
AVP of Data Science at Pacific Life
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertmhorrobin/

Chapters:  
00:00 Introduction  
01:04 Rob’s background and how he got into data science 
02:53 Rob’s role in the Center of Enablement: The Do-Partner-Support Model  
05:47 Scope of the team’s work and how teams are structured 
11:03 Actuaries, engineers, and data scientists: kindred spirits 
15:04 Advice for those considering launching a data science effort 
19:04 Advice for those interested in a career in data science  
21:08 Standard certifications for data scientists in the future? 
27:58 Rob’s vision: How can analytics create entirely different business models? 
Find more show notes, transcripts, & more episodes at:
https://www.elderresearch.com/resource/podcasts/

We’re kicking off the new year with Rick Hinton, founder and CEO of Valerius Consulting. Valerius provides adaptive change management services, especially for data analytics organizations. Rick and Evan discuss what change management looks like in the analytics world and why it’s necessary for growth. We learn about the importance of the words “trust”, “deliberate”, and “gradual” as they relate to implementing effective change. Rick wraps up by teaching us the CALM process for change management (Communication, Alignment, Learning, & Measurement) and providing practical advice for businesses. 
 
Key Takeaways: 
📈How change management is synonymous with continuous learning 
📈Common barriers to change and how to foster an environment of trust 
📈The pacing of effective change within an organization 
📈The CALM process for change management and how to apply it to your business (Communication, Alignment, Learning, Measurement) 
 
Quotes: 
💬 Trust is not an initiative that you plug in. It's the way you operate every day.  
— Rick Hinton 
 
💬 The business folks, the technical folks, and the data science and analytics folks - the challenge has always been them speaking the same language…The change challenge is they don't understand each other…That language barrier is a big impediment to change.  
— Rick Hinton 
 
💬 We’re not just changing for change’s sake. We're trying to improve, we're trying to learn, and that ties in really well with what people in the data science realm and analytics realm do. That's what they do every day, to try to interpret output and make decisions and learn from it.  
— Rick Hinton 
 
Featured in this episode:  
Evan Wimpey
Director of Analytics Strategy at Elder Research.
Company website: www.elderresearch.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-wimpey/ 
  
Rick Hinton  
Founder and CEO at Valerius Consulting  
Valerius Consulting: http://www.valerius.us/  
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfhinton/
 
 
Chapters: 
00:00 Introduction
01:16 Rick’s background and why he founded Valerius Consulting
03:05 What is change management in analytics? 
05:19 Change in data analytics, past and present
10:41 Analytics team structures and communication barriers
14:18 Building trust
17:54 Too much too fast? Pacing of change
21:42 The CALM process
29:12 Conclusion

Transcript & Show Notes: https://bit.ly/myob14


Find more show notes, transcripts, & more episodes at:
https://www.elderresearch.com/resource/podcasts/

Today’s very special guest joins us all the way from the North Pole. Elf is the Head of Data and Analytics at Santa’s Workshop. Elf and Evan discuss how the elves got into data analytics to solve complex problems, from toy manufacturing to efficient delivery routes. Elf describes how data analytics has changed over the centuries that he’s worked at Santa’s workshop. He also provides insight on increasing buy-in from key stakeholders. Evan and Elf wrap up by discussing Elf’s vision for the future of analytics to increase the amount of joy and cheer spread throughout the world. Tune in for an exclusive look into the magic of Santa’s Workshop!
 
Key Takeaways: 
🎁 How to ensure buy-in from stakeholders by centering them in the process 
🎁 How Santa’s workshop tackles route optimization 
🎁 Why data is needed to adapt to evolving business challenges, from chimney shortages to toy demands 
🎁 Current challenges that Santa’s workshop faces and how they hope to solve them 
 
 
Quotes:  
💬 “If we're not able to measure some improvement in what the data and analytics are able to do, then it's really hard to get that buy-in from the stakeholders.” 
 
💬 “And it's really the data that we collect year over year, and we also do some third-party data acquisitions to understand some of these changing trends, but the data is really helping to drive those delivery decisions.” 
 
💬 “I would really like to focus on that last mile, the most difficult children to deliver to, to make sure that every child that is hopeful of a Christmas gets something under their Christmas tree, something that they can open to have a little bit of magic there on Christmas morning.” 
 
Featured in this episode: 
Evan Wimpey 
Director of Analytics Strategy at Elder Research.
Company website: www.elderresearch.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-wimpey-40469b47  
 
Elf 
Head of Data and Analytics at Santa’s Workshop 
Elf is the Head of Data and Analytics at Santa's Workshop and is passionate about using data to spread joy and cheer. He has extensive experience leading his team at the North Pole location for the past 1,145 years. He has a background in retail management and carpentry. In his free time, he enjoys collecting vintage candy canes and watching Lord of the Rings. 


00:00 Introduction 
01:02 Elf’s background in data analytics 
03:37 Scope of data analytics in the business model 
05:54 How have data analytics problems evolved over centuries of work? 
08:03 Ensuring buy-in from stakeholders: creating analytics champions 
12:07 Do freezing temperatures affect computing? 
14:08 If Elf could tackle one analytics question, what would it be? 
Find more show notes, transcripts, & more episodes at:
https://www.elderresearch.com/resource/podcasts/