The Blog
Practical Excel techniques, financial modeling strategies, and career insights for finance professionals who want to level up.
Excel for Analytics: Quick Navigation Tips That Will Make You Faster (Portfolio Project Series)
Master essential Excel keyboard shortcuts and navigation techniques that will save you hours and keep you in flow state.
Data Cleaning in Excel: A Realistic Walkthrough for Analysts
A practical guide to cleaning messy data in Excel, covering version control, formatting cleanup, and string manipulation techniques.
How I'd Attack the Google Data Analytics Capstone Case Study (In 15 Minutes)
Watch me tackle the Google Data Analytics Cyclistic case study in 15 minutes using Excel and Power Query.
Excel Data Analysis: A Realistic (Messy) Walkthrough
Watch a real data analysis process unfold—messy, non-linear, and full of the struggles you won't see in sanitized tutorials.
Google Data Analytics Certificate Course 1 Review: What You'll Actually Learn
An experienced analyst's honest review of Google's Foundations course—what works, what doesn't, and who it's really for.
How to Present Data Analysis in Excel (The Presentation Layer)
Learn how to transform raw Excel analysis into polished deliverables that build your professional brand.
Google Data Analytics Certificate: My First Impressions (Is It Worth It?)
Is the Google Data Analytics Certificate worth the investment? Here's my honest first look at the program structure and who should take it.
Dynamic Array Functions vs. Pivot Tables: Building a Better Presentation Layer in Excel
Learn how to use Excel's dynamic array functions to build presentation layers that update automatically—no refresh button needed.
Excel Sensitivity Analysis: How to Test Your Forecast Assumptions
Learn how to use Excel's Data Table feature to test forecast assumptions and understand which drivers have the biggest impact on outcomes.
Google Data Analytics Certificate Course 5 Review: Analyze Data to Answer Questions
An honest review of Course 5 where analysis finally gets real—hands-on SQL, pivot tables, and the skills analysts actually use daily.
Google Data Analytics Certificate Course 2 Review: Ask Questions to Make Data-Driven Decisions
Course 2 teaches the SMART framework for asking better questions—a skill that separates good analysts from report generators.
Top 5 Reasons You Should NOT Become a Data Analyst
Before you dive into data analytics, here are five honest reasons this career might not be right for you—from someone who's done it for 20 years.
What Do Data Analysts Actually Do? (Day in the Life Reality Check)
The unfiltered truth about what data analysts actually spend their time on—meetings, data cleaning, and everything in between.
3 Tips to Think Like an Analyst (Even If You're Just Starting Out)
Master the analytical mindset with three practical thinking habits that separate good analysts from great ones.
Data Analyst Expectations vs Reality: What Nobody Tells You
The honest truth about what being a data analyst is really like—from someone who's done it for 20 years.
Excel vs Python for Data Cleaning: Which Should You Learn First?
The honest answer about whether to start with Excel or Python for data cleaning—from someone who uses both daily.
Google Data Analytics Certificate Course 6 Review: Share Data Through the Art of Visualization
An honest review of Course 6 covering data visualization principles and hands-on Tableau practice.
Learning Sucks (And That's Okay): One Analyst's Story
A personal story about embracing the discomfort of real learning—and why that feeling means you're on the right track.
Top 5 Non-Data Books Every Analyst Should Read
The best books for data analysts aren't always about data. Here are five non-technical books that transformed my analytics career.
The Single Biggest Mistake Analyst Applicants Make (And the 90-Degree Fix)
Stop approaching networking with your hand out. Here's the simple mindset shift that changes everything in your job search.
The Ultimate Excel LOOKUP Guide: VLOOKUP vs INDEX/MATCH vs XLOOKUP
A complete comparison of Excel's lookup functions with clear recommendations on which to use and when.
7 Steps to Land More Analytics Interviews (A Proven Framework)
A proven seven-step system for landing more data analyst interviews, from someone who's hired dozens of analysts.
Stop Using CONCATENATE in Excel: Here Are 3 Better Alternatives
CONCATENATE is outdated. Learn three better ways to join text in Excel that will make your formulas cleaner and more powerful.
Top 4 Tips to Crush Your Analytics Interview
Four non-obvious interview tips that separate good candidates from great ones, from a hiring manager who's conducted hundreds of interviews.
If I Had to Start Over in Data Analytics: What I'd Do Differently
If I had to restart my analytics career from scratch, here's exactly what I'd do differently based on 20 years of experience.
Analytics is a Team Sport: Why the Best Analysts Are Connectors
The most impactful analysts aren't the most technically skilled—they're the best connectors. Here's why collaboration matters more than you think.
Google Data Analytics Certificate Course 3 Review: Prepare Data for Exploration
Course 3 is where you finally start writing SQL queries and touching real data. Here's what to expect and how to succeed.
Google Data Analytics Certificate Course 4 Review: Process Data from Dirty to Clean
Course 4 tackles the reality of analytics: dirty data. This is the most practical course in the entire certificate program.
Google Data Analytics Certificate Course 7 Review: Data Analysis with R Programming
Course 7 introduces R programming—the steepest learning curve in the certificate. Here's what to expect and whether it's worth it.
5 Tips for Learning Analytics Online (From Someone Who's Done It)
Five practical tips for actually succeeding at online analytics courses, based on dozens of courses I've taken (and some I've quit).
3 Tips to Overcome Analysis Paralysis (From an Analyst Who's Been There)
Three common causes of analysis paralysis and exactly how to overcome each one, from someone who's been stuck many times.
3 Excel Forecasting Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Credibility (And How to Avoid Them)
Learn the three biggest Excel forecasting mistakes I've made in my finance career—and how to avoid them to build credibility with executives.
Why I Don't Use Pivot Tables for Deliverables (And How It's Helped My Career)
Pivot tables are great for exploration but terrible for building your professional brand. Here's what to use instead.
Google Data Analytics Certificate Capstone: My Honest Review (And What You'll Actually Walk Away With)
An honest review of the Google Data Analytics capstone project and what it actually prepares you for in job interviews.
How to Build Dynamic Reporting Tables in Excel Without Pivot Tables
Learn how to create fully automated reporting tables using dynamic array functions like SORT, UNIQUE, TRANSPOSE, SUMIFS, and VSTACK that update instantly and format beautifully.