The Dashboard Effect

Hosted by Brick Thompson, Jon Thompson, Caleb Ochs, Landon Ochs

BusinessInterviews guests

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Episodes

171

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

NEW EPISODES EVERY OTHER THURSDAY!!! The Dashboard Effect Podcast: Simplifying Data for Smarter Business Decisions Welcome to The Dashboard Effect , the go-to podcast for mid-market businesses and private equity-backed companies looking to harness the power of data. Hosted by Brick Thompson from Blue Margin, we demystify data analytics and business intelligence, offering practical insights and actionable strategies that drive accountability, performance, and growth. From breaking down complex data concepts to sharing real-world success stories, we cover topics like Power BI, data lakes, dashboards, automation, and the latest trends shaping the future of business intelligence. Whether you're a CEO, operator, or BI professional, we’ll help you unlock the potential of your data for smarter, faster decisions. Tune in to The Dashboard Effect and discover how the right data, at the right time, can transform your business. Subscribe now and take the first step toward becoming a data-driven organization! Learn More: BlueMargin.com

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 12, 2026Episode 17025 min

Can You Run Your BI on AI?

Everyone's asking the same question: why can't I just run all my business intelligence through AI? In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, Brick and Landon break down the real answer. You probably can, but only if your data foundation is built for it.They cover where AI analytics fit alongside traditional Power BI, why a strong medallion architecture is the difference between reliable answers and confident wrong ones, and the practical engineering that makes natural language query trustworthy. They also dig into rising token costs, vendor lock-in, and how to decide what belongs in a dashboard versus a chat window.If you run a data-driven business and you're weighing how far to push AI into your reporting stack, this one is for you.Subscribe for more conversations on data, dashboards, and getting real value from your BI.About Blue Margin - We build and manage the data foundation that turns scattered systems into reliable, AI-ready reporting, so your team gets trustworthy answers without the overhead of an internal data team.Learn more: https://www.bluemargin.com/

June 10, 2026Episode 16919 min

Using Vibe Coding in Real Data Projects

In this episode, the team gets hands-on with vibe coding and what it actually looks like inside real data work. From building API connections to generating synthetic datasets, they walk through where AI is genuinely speeding things up and where it still runs into friction.The big takeaway: writing code might be faster, but everything around the data still matters just as much.Blue Margin helps growing companies make better decisions with their data. From building data pipelines to creating reporting and dashboards, we handle the technical side so teams can focus on using their data—not chasing it.

June 3, 2026Episode 16814 min

AI Won't Kill Your Coding Career

AI is replacing software engineers. At least that's what the headlines say. But is it actually true?In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, Brick - CEO of Blue Margin and Landon - Data Platform Manager at Blue Margin, get into what AI coding tools are really doing to software engineering teams right now. They cover why developers who tried AI tools in 2024 gave up too soon, how the best engineers on their teams are using Claude Code and ChatGPT Codex to ship faster without losing the craft, and why software engineering job growth keeps climbing despite all the doom and gloom.If you lead a dev team, work in software, or just want to understand where this is all heading, this episode will change how you think about AI and your career.👍 Like and subscribe if you want no fluff conversations about data, AI, and running a modern tech business.Blue Margin is a business intelligence and data analytics firm helping companies turn raw data into decisions that drive revenue. With 120+ clients across industries, their team specializes in building dashboards and data platforms that leaders actually use. Learn more at bluemargin.com.

March 25, 2026Episode 16810 min

The Hidden Complexity Behind Simple Dashboards

Designing a dashboard might seem straightforward, just add charts, metrics, and a few visualizations. But the dashboards that actually help businesses make decisions often look surprisingly simple.In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, Brick and Landon talk about why the most effective dashboards are usually the simplest to read, and the hardest to build. Behind a clean dashboard is often a lot of complex data modeling, business rules, and engineering work that makes the information accurate and easy to understand. They walk through real examples, including salesperson ROI dashboards, accounts receivable reporting, and price-volume-mix analysis, to show how much work happens behind the scenes to create dashboards that people actually use.If you’ve ever wondered why some dashboards get ignored while others become essential tools for decision-making, this episode explains the difference.Learn more about Blue Margin:https://bluemargin.com

March 12, 2026Episode 1688 min

Should You Build a Data Team or Borrow One?

Many companies assume the best way to build a data capability is to hire an internal team. But is that always the right move?In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, Brick and Landon break down one of the most common questions they hear from prospective clients: Why outsource your data work instead of hiring in-house?They talk through the real tradeoffs companies face when building a data team, from the challenge of finding a single person who can do everything (the “Batman” hire), to the hidden costs of recruiting, training, and managing multiple specialists. They also discuss why outsourced teams can sometimes deliver more value than a single internal hire, thanks to a broader bench of expertise and the ability to scale resources up or down as business needs change.Whether you're considering building your own data team or looking for ways to get more out of your data infrastructure, this conversation offers a practical look at the pros and cons of each approach.

February 5, 2026Episode 16613 min

How a PE-Backed Rollup Escaped Excel Chaos

Pulling financial data together sounds simple, until you’re dealing with 20+ acquired companies, multiple ERPs, and a reporting process held together by massive Excel files.In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, Brick Thompson sits down with Senior Account Executive Kate Eberle to walk through a real client example: a PE-backed, billion-dollar organization struggling to consolidate financial data across a highly fragmented system landscape.They break down what went wrong, why Excel stopped scaling, and how moving to a modern data platform eliminated weeks of manual FP&A work, while giving leaders faster, more actionable insight into the business.About Blue MarginBlue Margin helps growing companies make better decisions with their data. We work with finance and technology leaders to consolidate messy, disconnected systems into reliable, usable data foundations, so teams can spend less time wrangling spreadsheets and more time understanding what’s actually happening in the business.Learn more: https://bluemargin.comIf your reporting process depends on manual work, fragile Excel files, or month-old data, we help you move to a more scalable, trustworthy approach.

January 27, 2026Episode 16513 min

Your Finance Stack Is Broken: Stop Trusting the Magic Spreadsheet

Most finance and ops teams aren’t short on data, they’re short on trust in the numbers.This podcast digs into why reporting breaks down, why Excel becomes a crutch, and what actually changes when companies move to cleaner, more reliable data foundations. We talk with CFOs, operators, and data leaders about the messy reality behind budgets, forecasts, board decks, and “magic spreadsheets” and how teams can get out of survival mode and make better decisions with confidence.At Blue Margin, we help companies stop guessing and start leading with data. Our dashboards turn business performance into a daily habit, giving executives visibility that drives results. Visit https://bluemargin.com to see how we make data your biggest advantage.

November 7, 2025Episode 16410 min

Antidote for Failed Data Projects

In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, hosts Brick and Landon break down why so many data projects fail and how to fix them. Instead of “boiling the ocean” with massive, months-long BI initiatives that never gain traction, they share a practical, proven approach to delivering fast ROI, user adoption, and sustained data success.Whether you’re leading a data transformation, building dashboards, or just trying to get your first BI win, this episode will help you reset your mindset and find your “real antidote” to failure.At Blue Margin, we help companies stop guessing and start leading with data. Our dashboards turn business performance into a daily habit, giving executives visibility that drives results. Visit bluemargin.com to see how we make data your biggest advantage.

October 22, 2025Episode 16310 min

ROI for AI: Why Most Projects Fail (and How to Get Yours Right)

AI adoption is booming but most initiatives still fail to deliver real ROI. In this episode, Brick and Landon unpack why 60–95% of AI projects miss the mark and what companies can do differently. From the importance of a solid data foundation to starting small with practical use cases, they outline a smarter approach to AI that focuses on results, not hype.

October 8, 2025Episode 16211 min

The Data Governance Behind Trusted AI

In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, Brick and Landon unpack why so many AI projects fail and how the right data foundation can make all the difference. From breaking down what a semantic model actually is to exploring the role of governance, they explain how structure, quality, and oversight in your data environment directly impact the reliability of AI.Whether you’re an executive planning your first AI initiative or a developer struggling to wrangle messy data, this conversation offers a clear look at what it really takes to make AI work in the real world.Blue Margin helps middle-market companies turn their data into a strategic advantage. Through Power BI solutions and modern data platforms, we make data visible, reliable, and actionable—so your team can make smarter decisions and drive performance. Learn more at https://bluemargin.com