Christy Crute returns to the Rock Bottom Data Feed to discuss the growing importance of data literacy, critical thinking, and human judgment in an AI-enabled world. In addition to being Professor, Business Analytics at Grove City College, Dr. Crute has also been an executive at multiple Fortune 50 companies. In a wide-ranging conversation, she talks about how metrics can motivate employees, foundational skills that still matter, and that while AI is changing entry-level work, it will not replace the need for deep understanding. In fact, intellectual capital and institutional knowledge are more important than ever, perhaps even to the level of competitive differentiators.

We also hear from the 8-Bit Consultants, play our famous game show, and visit the Data Poetry Slam. As always, if you have a verse to share or question in 256-characters, write us.

Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!!

• DATAVERSITY Training Center
• Live Classes
• Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY

Chapters:

00:00 – Archedataology from the Future – Part 3; 05:21 – Monologue; 07:47 – Christy Crute Part 2; 28:33 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 30:39 – Data Poetry Slam; 31:11 – The 8-Bit Consultants; 32:16 – Audio Data Rorschach Test; 34:19 – Recap & Close

Who is best to educate corporate executives? How about a college professor who was once a corporate executive herself. John and Mark welcome Christy Crute to the Rock Bottom Data Feed. Former executive at multiple Fortune 50 companies; current Professor, Business Analytics at Grove City College. In the first of our two-part conversation, Dr. Crute shares her observations about how AI is shaping education, not by replacing foundational skills, but by elevating critical thinking, curiosity, and judgment. Students still need deep domain understanding even as AI handles more of the mechanics because "reasonableness" may become one of the most important skills of all.

In this episode we also preview an upcoming guest: Sam Spencer of Aristotle Metadata in Australia. Not to give too much away, but Sam caused a bit of a fuss down under with some unflattering observations about government investments in data.

As always, if you have a verse or two for the Data Poetry Slam, or question in 256-characters, write us.

Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!!

• DATAVERSITY Training Center
• Live Classes
• Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY

Chapters:

00:00 – Archedataology from the Future - Part 2; 05:58 – Monologue; 08:41 – Christy Crute Part 1; 37:21 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 39:27 – Data Poetry Slam; 40:25 – The 8-Bit Consultants; 42:02 – Recap & Close

John Ladley and Mark Cooper conclude their conversation with Jon Padfield. He's a an engineer turned State Representative, turned business professor, exploring how surveillance, data, AI, and corporate power are reshaping our world and what you can do about it. Check out and join the quarter-million subscribers to his YouTube channel, Business Reform. In this episode of the Rock Bottom Data Feed, Jon gives us more food for thought about what's ethically acceptable in a world of rapidly expanding data and AI. He also answers the "two questions" and plays our Famous Game Show.

As always, if you have a suggestion for an artifact to explore in Archedataology, a verse or two for the Data Poetry Slam, or question in 256-characters, write us.

Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!!

• DATAVERSITY Training Center
• Live Classes
• Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY

Chapters:

00:00 – Archedataology from the Future - Part 1; 04:51 – Monologue; 07:15 – Jon Padfield Part 2; 39:06 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 41:58 – Audio Data Rorschach Test; 45:53 – The 8-Bit Consultants; 47:09 – Recap & Close

Joining John Ladley and Mark Cooper at Rock Bottom is Jon Padfield. He is an Assistant Professor of Business at Indiana University, Columbus, President of the Business Reform Media Group, and proprietor of the very successful Business Reform YouTube channel. In the first half of our conversation with him, he discusses ways that companies collect and use our data that we don't often think about, fully understand, or knowingly agree to. You may think differently about clicking the software license agreement "I Accept" button.

We also have a new Archedataology artifact, Data Poetry Slam, and advice from the 8-Bit Consultants. As always, if you have a suggestion for an artifact to explore, a poem to share, or question in 256-characters, write us.

Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!!

• DATAVERSITY Training Center
• Live Classes
• Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY

Chapters:

00:00 – Archedataology; 05:12 – Monologue; 07:56 – Jon Padfield Part 1; 36:32 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 39:01 – Data Poetry Slam; 40:05 – The 8-Bit Consultants; 41:17 – Recap & Close

In this episode, John Ladley and Mark Cooper conclude their conversation with Tony Mazzarella. They discuss whether hiring a Chief Data Officer will "fix" data issues (hint: it won't), and look at governance as a social and cultural change initiative, not just a data catalog or glossary project. Tony also answers the "two questions" and plays the Famous Game Show.

As always, if you have a suggestion for an artifact to explore in Archedataology, a verse or two for the Data Poetry Slam, or question in 256-characters, write us.

Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!!

• DATAVERSITY Training Center
• Live Classes
• Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY

Chapters:

00:00 – Open & Introduction; 04:26 – Monologue; 06:37 – Tony Mazzarella Part 2; 32:43 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 34:59 – Audio Data Rorschach Test; 36:22 – 8-Bit Consultants; 37:52 – Close

In this episode, John Ladley and Mark Cooper conclude their conversation with Tony Mazzarella. They discuss whether hiring a Chief Data Officer will "fix" data issues (hint: it won't), and look at governance as a social and cultural change initiative, not just a data catalog or glossary project. Tony also answers the "two questions" and plays the Famous Game Show.

As always, if you have a suggestion for an artifact to explore in Archedataology, a verse or two for the Data Poetry Slam, or question in 256-characters, write us.

Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!!

• DATAVERSITY Training Center
• Live Classes
• Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY

Chapters:

00:00 – Open & Introduction; 04:26 – Monologue; 06:37 – Tony Mazzarella Part 2; 32:43 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 34:59 – Audio Data Rorschach Test; 36:22 – 8-Bit Consultants; 37:52 – Close

John Ladley and Mark Cooper welcome Tony Mazzarella to Rock Bottom! He just completed a Ph.D. focused on Data Governance, reframing it not as a static control layer but as a dynamic system that connects technology, people, and real-world outcomes. He'll explain all that, and much more, in this episode and the next.

We also have a new Archedataology artifact, Data Poetry Slam, and advice from the 8-Bit Consultants. As always, if you have a suggestion for an artifact to explore, a poem to share, or question in 256-characters to answer, write us.

Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!!

• DATAVERSITY Training Center
• Live Classes
• Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY

Chapters:

00:00 – Open & Introduction; 03:25 – Monologue; 05:36 – Tony Mazzarella Part 1; 33:09 – Data Poetry Slam; 34:13 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 36:19 – The 8-Bit Consultants; 37:40 – Recap & Close

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Stijn Christiaens, co-founder and Chief Data Citizen at Collibra. He talks more about what data really is, and why it's far more than just transactions. From user interactions and system logs to external data sets and entirely new data created by redesigned products, Stijn unpacks the expanding scope of data in modern organizations.

Today we are excited to introduce a new opening segment, Archedataology: Data before it knew it was data. In this and upcoming episodes, we'll look at records, artifacts, and traces people created long before the modern language of datasets, databases, and analytics even existed. Societies counted, tracked, and remembered things like ledgers, tallies, and inventories, revealing that the practice of "data" long predates the word itself.

We also have another Data Poetry Slam and we play the Audio Data Rorschach Test with Stijn.

Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!!

• DATAVERSITY Training Center
• Live Classes
• Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY

Chapters:

00:00 – Open & Introduction; 03:20 – Monologue; 06:08 – Stijn Christiaens Part 2; 29:57 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 32:27 – Data Poetry Slam; 32:49 – Audio Data Rorschach Test; 34:44 – Recap & Close