Month: August 2019

The 3 Pillars of Small Business Analytics

When I consult with small business owners, there are 3 areas where my guidance generally has the most impact. I call these areas the 3 Pillars of Small Business Analytics.

The first pillar is a Competitive Landscape. I have found that very few small business owners really have a handle on the competition.

A competitive landscape analysis will reveal threats and opportunities that generally are not obvious to a business owner who focuses most of his/her energy on running the business itself.

Some of the data points you can capture and analyze include pricing, location, business size, quality, scope of business, diversity of product offering and of course revenue. You would be surprised to find how easy it is to gather all this info.

Knowing where your products and services stack up against your competition is a key to prosperity. To achieve this understanding you need to use analytics.

The second pillar is a Demographic Profile. I have also found that very few small business owners really understand the demographics around their business.

A demographic profile analysis will illustrate how closely your customer base mirrors the actual population around your business. In many cases small businesses are not positioning their services correctly based on the opportunity in their market.

Data to include would be traditional demographic markers like age, race, sex, family status, financial status, economic state, etc. There is a ridiculous amount of data on the internet that can be mined free and easy.

Making sure your business is properly positioned to take advantage of your arket will ensure more long term success. The data is out there; you just need to know how to bring it into your analytics process.

The third pillar is Customer Insights. With the boom in social media, most small businesses have not figured out how to capture and analyze all the information being published and shared about their business.

Customer Insight analysis allows a business owner to stay on top of problems and identify how customers feel about their business quickly.

We all know how quickly things can go viral and having a good tool to capture customer sentiment in social media is generally the most overlooked aspect of running a small business.

Positive and negative reviews, trending items, number of likes, follows and shares, are all items that can be rolled into customer insights. You can combine this with surveys, focus groups and loyalty programs among other things to get a full picture of your business.

If you are a small business owner, decision-maker or analyst then focusing on these analytics pillars will make all the difference in the world.

And the best part, is they are all free and easy to bring into your business.

Small Business Analytics — The field of small business analytics is just starting to blossom as companies are looking for more data-driven decision-making to prosper in the age of Big Data. Sonic Analytics is at the fore front of providing analytics training, consulting and outsourcing options to small businesses. Contact us now at info@sonicanalytics.com or connect with me directly to set up a free consultation on how to get more analytics in your small business.

Dan Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics advocacy with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and as of February 2019, Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and has recently begun offering public training seminars in the United States.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like Saint Leo University’s Women in Data + Science Program and the Data + Women of Tampa Meet Up Group.

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Grab a Big Data Surfboard or Get Left Behind!

“Land was wealth 300 years ago. So, the person who owned the land owned the wealth. Later wealth was in factories and production, and America rose to dominance. The industrialist owned the wealth. Today, wealth is in information. And the person who has the most timely information owns the wealth. The problem is that information flies around the world at the speed of light. The new wealth cannot be contained by boundaries and borders as land and factories were. The changes will be faster and more dramatic. There will be a dramatic increase in number of new multimillionaires. There also will be those left behind.”

Two things strike me in this quote by Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad.

The first is that it incapsulates the world we live in now. A world where information is power. We see this in practice today as the biggest companies now are the ones who use data the same way companies 100 years ago used oil. Nothing new here.

The second thing is that those who control the information will be successful and more importantly those who do, not, will be left behind. This my biggest fear right now. Watching so many businesses being left behind because they don’t have control of information.

Experts have talked about Industry 4.0, the Information Age, the power of Big Data, etc. ad nauseum. But people are not talking much about those being left behind. At least not in the context of being data-driven.

The past two years we have talked a lot about the Trump voter, feeling left behind financially. But we aren’t talking much about the data starved companies that employed a lot of them.

We all know that automation, innovation and globalization combined to spell the end of a lot of companies. But we don’t really talk about how the same companies ultimately ended up failing because they didn’t understand how to use their data better.

Big Data represents a massive wave of disruption that will continue to smash companies like a tsunami. Only those who can ride the wave successfully will be prepared. Analytics is our surfboard to make sure our organization doesn’t get left behind and that we are able to surf the Big Data wave.

Those that master analytics are the new multimillionaire that Kiyosaki mentions. They use data science, build predictive models and have figured out machine learning and artificial intelligence.

The ones that are left behind are the ones still using MS Excel to do rudimentary reporting. Even ones who have started using some basic business intelligence tools and are gaining valuable insight from their data will struggle against the bigger, more data-driven competitors that make multimillionaires of the best data surfers.

One way to know if your organization is in trouble is ask this one simple question. Does the way data is used inside your business look like the way data is used in your personal life? Can we do at work what we can do with Facebook, Netflix, Amazon, Google, etc. at home?

In most cases there is probably a pretty big gap. We process data at work in batches, sometimes only at month end. The analysis takes days and the reports we use to make decisions are only looking at the past. We know who our customers have been, but we are guess who they will be in the future. We hire people not on who is likely to bring the most value to our business, but the one with the best resume and the best interview skills. Does any of this sound familiar?

If it does than that sound you hear in the background, getting louder and starting to impact what you do is the wave of disruption.

If you don’t want to be left behind, crushed by big data, and you want your organization to keep making millionaires than you had better start learning to surf and to do that, you will need a high-quality board.

Dan Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics advocacy with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and as of February 2019, Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and has recently begun offering public training seminars in the United States. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like Saint Leo University’s Women in Data + Science Program and the Data + Women of Tampa Meet Up Group.

The Data-Driven Entrepreneur

I recently dialed into a call with my good friend and Small Business Expert Bill Walsh, who often talks about the importance of analytics. As Bill was sharing tips on what does it take to a launch a successful business, I jotted down several pages of notes.

What jumped out the most to me was the topic, “What are the key drivers to build a business?

Drivers are things that can and should be tracked. That’s basic analytics.

And it started me thinking what it is that makes me effective in my advocacy to help small businesses optimize their use of data. What are the key drivers that go along with the launching, building and growing a business?

Bill often says that “customers are good for business and you have to track success by keeping score”. We all know that you have to track your networking efforts. How many calls did you make today? How many likes or shares did your posts on social media generate? A lot of organizations use applications like Salesforce or Constant Contact to do just this.

But if we don’t have a dedicated tracking system for leads and follow ups, you can easily do something in MS Excel or Google Sheets. Keeping score means you need to capture data on a scorecard, roll it up into a report and use the data to make business decisions.

You can start with something as simple as this weekly scorecard:

Weekly Customer Contact Scorecard

Track your progress each week by ticking off your success.

Block off one hour a week to spend rolling your data.. Friday afternoons are good for this.

Look at what you are doing well and where you need to spend more or less time.

Take that analysis and put something to action on Monday morning.

This is just one example how an entrepreneur can start to become more data-driven. We need to have ways to capture not just sales data, but data from every aspect of your business.

If you need some help getting started with becoming more data-driven, I’ m happy to help.

Dan Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics advocacy with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and as of February 2019, Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and has recently begun offering public training seminars in the United States. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like Saint Leo University’s Women in Data + Science Program and the Data + Women of Tampa Meet Up Group.

Amazon Will Spend $Millions Up Skilling Its Workforce.. Shouldn’t You?

Saw this article in the New York Times Today

If Amazon is investing in up skill training, because they can see what’s coming, why wouldn’t everyone else? Offering companies analytics and data science up skill training seems like a sound business model right? And that my friends, is why we have Sonic Analytics.

Give you and your team access to skills on the future. #dataspark#sonicanalytics#dataiswealth

I ran a data science-centric program the past 18 months to do just this for Accenture’s Philippines operation. We put over 500 Accenture employees through our Applied Analytics Training Series covering topics like Data Mining, Blending and Visualization, discussed case studies by the likes of Google, Best Buy and HP, and conducted exercises giving attendees a chance to design business dashboard prototypes, build predictive models in Excel and practice data story telling. We can do the same for you.

Dan Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics advocacy with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and as of February 2019, Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and has recently begun offering public training seminars in the United States. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

How To Use Data To Make a Business More Profitable

I’m often asked how investing in analytics will make a small business more profitable?

In my answer, I often quote a few data points from a study of 400 companies that the consulting firm Bain conducted. They found the companies with the most developed analytics capabilities commanded a larger market share. In addition, they were twice as likely to be in their sector’s top 25% for profitability, and five times more likely to make swifter decisions than competitors. Considering these statistics, businesses that are not exploiting the potential of big data analytics are certain to fall behind.

Sometimes I mention a study by the University of Texas that analyzed data sets from Fortune 1000 corporations and measured the impact data analytics had on profits. Some notable findings included:

  • Companies could increase profit by more than $2 billion a year by making just 10% of available data usable.
  • Return on equity increased by 16% by making data more accessible.
  • When advanced reporting was deployed, return on investment increased by 0.7% — which is equal to $2.87 million in additional revenue.
  • Most importantly, a comparably low investment in data analytics was required to produce these significant gains.

But just quoting a bunch of statistics is far from compelling.

That’s one of the challenges of “selling” big data solutions to small businesses. All the stats are not very relatable.

It takes time to get to know a business in a way that a tailored solution can be designed. Every business uses data differently, so no two solutions are the same.

That is why I walk entrepreneurs, small business owners and leaders through an assessment. With this we link hinderances in their analytics process to solutions that mitigate the hinderances. We can also look for technologies to optimize the storage, analysis and presentation of data. Only then can we set targets to achieve the benefits mentioned in the Bain and UT studies.

And for me that is both satisfying as business coach and fun as a data nerd.

Dan Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics advocacy with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and as of February 2019, Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and has recently begun offering public training seminars in the United States. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like Saint Leo University’s Women in Data + Science Program and the Data + Women of Tampa Meet Up Group.

Putting Your Data to Work. Let’s Get Started

For those of you who follow me and have not yet attended one of my trainings, I want to share with you what we do. Here are some excerpts from a recent talk I gave in Chicago with Powerteam International.

Let’s talk about how to master your data to increase your income. Over the next couple of blog posts I’m going to walk you through some tips on how to increase the insight you glean from your data and use that to increase yyour income. We’re going to cover five things.

First of all, we’re going to talk about how big data is a wave of disruption. It’s causing massive disruptions in every industry and every type of business. We’re going to talk about how data analytics is a process. You have to be able to understand the entire process, to be able to master the data in your business.

Next, we’re going talk about how to find the right data at the right time. Like anything worth finding, this will require a map. You have to be able to look at your data throughout your business like you’re mapping something and going from start to finish.

We will next cover talking making impactful data visualizations. It is actually something that is quite hard to do, so I am going to talk about some tips on how to make some better visualizations.

Then finally we will cover storytelling with data, which is how you influence decision makers.

To recap…

1. Big Data is Disruption

2. Analytics as a Process

3. Finding the Right Data

4. Data Visualization

5. Storytelling with Data

I generally cover this subject matter over a two-day course, but for written consumption I have condensed it.

I have made it very layman.

So, we’re not going sit here and go through a lot of complicated technical stuff. This is more of a high-level perspective of my experience. Of what I know about analytics and why I want to share with you.

A little about me, so I have about 20 plus years of experience working with analytics or data analysis work. Most of my professional experience came with Wells Fargo Bank.

I worked for 15 years with Wells Fargo’s as a senior analyst. For the last seven or eight years though after I left Wells Fargo, I set up my own business. I’ve been teaching people how to be analysts. Talking to companies about how to use more data in their decision-making. Talking to people about how to really level up with their business.

I’ve been doing a lot of that in Asia and I just recently moved to Florida. I am expanding my business towards the East Coast and up here in Chicago. I also have a master’s in education. I was a teacher before I was an analyst. My favorite thing to do is talk about analytics in a way that could help empower people. This is me fulfilling my destiny.

I have a company called Sonic Elevate. Since 2011, we have trained over 8,000 people. Conducted over 186 trainings. We’ve worked on over 50 projects across Southeast Asia.

We at Sonic, work with a wide range of companies, a broad spectrum of types of businesses. The one thing they all have in common is they all have a lot of data and they’re all struggling to use that data effectively. It doesn’t matter how big or how powerful or how amazing a company is. They have to really look at data in a way that allows them to constantly optimize this.

I want to share with you a few of those things that some of these companies do within the framework of the outline I listed above.

Big Data, Analytics, Data Governance, Data Visualization and Storytelling with Data.

If you want to attend a training or set up some time for a 1 on 1 coaching session, let’s connect.

https://www.coachtheworld.com/en/dataiswealth

Dan Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics advocacy with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and as of February 2019, Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and has recently begun offering public training seminars in the United States. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like Saint Leo University’s Women in Data + Science Program and the Data + Women of Tampa Meet Up Group.

Getting Buy In From the Top

One of the biggest reasons analytics projects fail is that they are not fully supported by senior management.

According to Gartner, more than half of all analytics projects failbecause they aren’t completed within budget or on schedule, or because they failto deliver the features and benefits that are optimistically agreed on at their outset.

I’ve seen a lot of studies like this, asking why big data projects fail, why companies come up short with their digital transformation efforts or why going out and hiring a rock star, data scientist fails to fix everything. Quite often it’s because the bosses never really believed that great analytics was going to be make much of a difference as compared to just basic analysis and reporting.

I’m fact, lack of management support, was among the top 3 reasons analytics projects fail in a survey I conducted of over 700 analytics professionals via LinkedIn a few years ago.

When someone in an organization identifies a need for better analytics, one of the first things they need to do is get buy in from the top.

In a lot of cases, people will just jump to the conclusion that this is a technical problem. One that can be fixed with a technical approach.

However, it’s often the case that the real problem is in the culture of the business. And when that’s the case, technical solutions usually fail.

I recently wrapped up an 18 month training project with Accenture’s operations in the Philippines. We trained over 400 Accenture team members in Applied Analytics at the request of their top brass. Their support was essential in getting the ball rolling, fine tuning the training curriculum and filling up each class with 25 analytics minded employees.

Wether it be sending people to a training, buying a new piece of technology or adding staff, you’ll need their support to make sure you are successful.

Applied Analytics with Accenture

Dan Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics advocacy with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and as of February 2019, Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and has recently begun offering public training seminars in the United States. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like Saint Leo University’s Women in Data + Science Program and the Data + Women of Tampa Meet Up Group.

Bullish on the Bee

I know I’ve had an interesting career when I get excited about a news article announcing the merger of the Philippines biggest name in fast food with a California based coffee chain.

Why? Because I’ve trained business analysts from both companies and have some insights into how both of them work with their data.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Jollibee, it’s basically the Filipino McDonalds but with a lot of Filpino-centric fast food options and a much cuter mascot. They dominate their home market and they have expanded around the globle. Where ever your find significant pockets of Filipinos, you can find a Jollibee.

As for Coffee Bean (CBTL) its a California based coffee and tea chain that lives in the Starbuck’s shadow. The have a fairy random footprint and really aren’t the first coffee of choice anywhere I know of.

But for Jollibee it seems like a smart move to acquire Coffee Bean. A lot of CB locations are in malls and business hubs are off to the side and not front in center. They couldn’t compete with the Starbucks for the same floor space and that reality makes them mostly an after thought.

Plus there is nothing special about their menu. Nothing bad, but nothing great either. Plus they have an ever growing amount of competition in a market (coffee) that may be peaking as younger customers like alternatives like milk tea and pearl tea.

On the other hand, Jollibee is an absolute monster of a competitor. They dominate the lower end of the market. Adding CB gives them a presence in more higher end market places. In a lot of malls and business districts, Jollibee is either not present or stuck in the basement with the other fast food brands. But CB can be front in center right. If Jollibee infuses some cash into improving the location of the CB stores, it should be pretty successful.

Plus Jollibee’s marketing is one of the best in the business. They consistently product content that is heartwarming, enchanting and really works. And the bee, that is one of the most beloved mascots I have ever seen. Way better then a quasi creepy clown or a very outdated southern colonel. If they can get people feel the same way about a cup of CB coffee they do about a yumburger, that its a golden marraige.

One more thing, I always mention when I talk about Jollibee. I can 100% guarantee, that in any room full of Filipinos, there is one thing they have all done. No matter their age, income, education.. .they have all attended a birthday party at a Jollibee. If you think McDonalds is a pure representation of middle America, than times that by 10 and you get what Jollibee is to the Filipino.

Now that all just on the outisde. On the inside, Jollibee has spent a lot on its internal data processing and decision making. They have crushed McDo in the Philippines based on an old school model of overwhelming numbers. But since then, they have gotten smarter. I saw that in their analysts and the way they were using data to solve business problems. There success is multifaceted, but a key pieces of it is their business culture is much more data-centric than their competitors. They have a deep and wide ranging strategy to keep adding complementary pieces (they bought the Philppines Burger King franchise last year) to the brands they offer… now they have added another potential winner.

Expectedly, Jollibee’s stock took a dive the day after the announcement on the Philippines Stock Exchange. Short term mindset and conservative investors worry its a mistake to get into the coffee business and many are still waiting to see how the Burger King acquisition plays out. But not me. Based on what I’ve seen, inside and out, I think its a shrewd move.

I’m quite bullish on the bee.

Time to invest in some shares.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/24/business/jollibee-coffee-bean-tea-leaf/

Dan Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics advocacy with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and as of February 2019, Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and has recently begun offering public training seminars in the United States. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like Saint Leo University’s Women in Data + Science Program and the Data + Women of Tampa Meet Up Group.

Why Manila Needs A Quantum Mastermind

Per wikipedia, a mastermind groupis a peer-to-peer mentoring concept used to help members solve their problems with input and advice from the other group members. The concept was coined in 1925 by author Napoleon Hillin his book The Law of Success, and described in more detail in his 1937 book, Think and Grow Rich. In his books, Hill discussed the idea of the Master Mind, which referred to two or more people coming together in harmony to solve problems.

I had never really heard of the this concept until I met Bill Walsh, America’s Small Business Expert at a Small Business Expo a few months ago. Meeting Bill was a game changer.

After listening to Bill talk to a group of entrepreneurs and small business owners for 45 minutes, I was shocked to see I had made 4 pages of notes. I immediately signed up to lead a mastermind in Orlando, Florida as I was in the early stages of expanding my business to the Sunshine State.

This is a big deal for me because as a data guy, I tend to execute my business decisions after pretty thorough analysis. But I saw an opportunity and I went for it. I had my first mastermind meeting after 45 days of planning and was successful in bringing together an initial groups of liked mind professionals committed to raising their game through collaboration and mind share.

And then it occurred to me, that if Masterminds are being successfully implemented across the U.S.. why not the Philippines?

Having devoted a huge % of the last decade to leading a charge to upskill the analytics talent in the Philippines, I should be doing the same with a mastermind.

The upward trajectory of small business and entrepreneurship in the Philippines continues to quicken. And in all my years training people to use analytics, I have worked with thousands of Filipinos working for small businesses or themselves looking to be more competitive. Analytics is a big part of leveling up your business. They’re are a lot more pieces to the puzzle of business success, but it occurred to me there was one key one missing.

Masterminds.

I learned back in 2011, that when it comes to economic opportunity in the Philippines, the sky is the limit. My adopted home is a land of almost unlimited potetnial.

So in partnership with Bill Walsh and Powerteam International I will be launching a series of Quantum Mastermind’s in Metro Manila and across the Philippines.

Dan Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics advocacy with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and as of February 2019, Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and offers big data coaching and analytics training seminars in the United States. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like the Analytics Association of the Philippines, Saint Leo University’s Women in Data + Science Program and the Data + Women of Tampa Meet Up Group.

When the Game Changer Arrives

When you least expect it, that is when it happens.

When you stop looking for something, what you are looking for finds you.

At least that is what happened to me the past two days as I attend a couple of amazing events produced by Powerteam International.

48 hours ago I was in a bit of a funk.

Maybe more than a bit of funk. It was actually about fourteen months ago when I came to the conclusion that I needed a new mountain to climb.

I am one of those people who live for the journey, not the destination. When I check off all of the boxes I wanted to check off in a certain pursuit, I need to move on to something different.

So when I pretty much achieved all I had set out to do in the Philippines, I started looking for something new to do back in the U.S. My absolute favorite thing to do is talk about analytics in front of an audience hungry to level up with their ability to optimize data. It took 8 years, but I had pretty much become the biggest name in analytics training in the Philippines. So what is my follow up to that?

I spent the past year plus exploring how to get more involved in using analytics for civic responsibility and advocating for a more data-driven electorate. However, I just couldn’t find a place where I could pour my passion into.

Long story short, that brought me to the Small Business Expo in Orlando two days ago.

Having just spent a day exploring Disney’s Animal Kingdom, I was mentally well rested and ready to get out there and network as I was planning to basically rebuild my training advocacy that I had built in the Philippines, but now in North Central Florida.

One more point, before talking in depth about my Game Changing Day.

I took this private tour safari at the animal park. I was setting out on the deck overlooking the savannah section of the park watching giraffes, spring buck and really, really big horned cows as the sun started to set.

It was a beautiful moment. And honestly it was not cheap. It cost like $180. But man was it worth it.

I said to myself, I love this. I want to keep doing this kind of stuff. But I’m gonna need to make a lot more money if I want to really have the lifestyle I want.., to travel, to explore, to experience. In short, I need to be rich to get to the top of my next mountain.

Unsure how I would get there, but ready to start a new chapter I entered the Expo.

At first glance it was like any number of similar expos that I have been to over the years. A bunch of workshops, an exhibitor area, a main stage with a bunch of speakers I hadn’t heard of before. So I got into networking mode.

Attending a couple of workshops and walked half the exhibitor area, picking up a few ideas and 1–2 good leads. And then it all changed.

I attended a workshop by a guy named Bill Walsh. Yeah being a lifelong 49ers fan, that was the main reason I picked this workshop.

Before I knew it, I had filled up several pages of notes. Like how to use your book to build your business without even finishing the book. I mean Bill was giving me a lot of really good small business ideas that make a ton of sense. Another that stuck out was the idea of selling from stage. Honestly, the fact that I was getting all this for free was quite remarkable.

And then the sales pitch came. Like most speakers Bill had something to offer us. In this case a Public Speakers Camp. Five days of intense training to up your game as a speaker to really optimize your time on stage. Sounds awesome. The kicker, the price tag was kinda high… probably too high for 90% of the attendees.

So at the end, I hung around. Fired up by the pages of notes I had taken and seeing the potential that abounds in what Bill said. I really could focus more on my passion (public speaking) to offer what I am good at (analytics training) that will enable more of my prime motivator in life (travel).

I got a deeper understanding on the offer and started to sense it could be a game changer. It’s a significant investment, but if it pans out this could shave two years off of my business development plan. I could easily be making 7 figures in the near future.

The Platinum Speaker Program, five days with 20 like-minded individuals being taught by Bill. All kinds of help with refining your offer, polishing you message and picking up best practices. With a promise to be put in stage within 60 days. Sounds kinda too could to be true right?

That’s what most of us would think. And we would never stop thinking.

But I get it. I see exactly how this would benefit someone like me.

So I signed up.

But I still didn’t appreciate the scope of what I had signed up for.

After talking with Bill, I went back to the exhibitor area. And started to fit the pieces together.

Several of the speakers had done what I was doing. And one after another, as I spoke to them, Deann, Merri-Jo, Tina, Sheridan, Angel… validated my thoughts that this is something I should be part of.

The Small Business Expo is THE stage that the graduates of the program are put on. They get to talk about their area of expertise and offer their services while also sharing what Powerteam does for its speakers.

It’s brilliant.

I’ve been a speaker at many, many events where part of the speaker lineup (including myself) is working closely with the event organizers to develop additional post workshop activities to partner on.

But this one, the Small Business Expo series… it’s the best I have ever seen.

It will get me on stage, to build my advocacy, to grow my business and take me all around the world.

For me it is that game changer I had been looking for, but did not expect to find it here.

Boom! I got my mojo back.

Now off to climb a new mountain.

Dan Meyer heads Sonic Analytics, an analytics advocacy with offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area and as of February 2019, Ocala, FL. With over 20 years in Big Data, Dan is one of the most sought-after public speakers in Asia and has recently begun offering public training seminars in the United States. Dan has also recently joined the Powerteam International family as a small business analytics resource speaker.

Sonic Analytics(www.sonicanalytics.com) brings big data analytics solutions like business intelligence, business dashboards and data storytelling to small and medium sized organizations looking to enhance their data-driven decision-making capabilities. We also advocate the use of analytics for civic responsibility through training, consulting and education.

As citizens of this great democracy, we need to look at the data (analytics), plan a course of action (strategy) and share our data-driven viewpoints (presentation). This approach to a data savvy work force starts in school. So, we started an internship program to empower our youth to use Analytics, plan Strategy and Present their insights… ASP!

When not training current and future analysts, you can find Dan championing the use of analytics to empower data-driven citizenship by volunteering his expertise with schools and non-profits dedicated to evidence-based social progress like Saint Leo University’s Women in Data + Science Program and the Data + Women of Tampa Meet Up Group.