From Cookbook To Kitchen: Six Ways My Data Storytelling Masterclass Elevates Your Skills

Imagine having a master chef beside you, guiding your hands as you cook, versus following a recipe alone. That’s the difference between my new data storytelling masterclass and my book.

Recently, a reader asked me, “Can you help me understand what value the course provides over the book?” I know others have the same question, so I wanted to share my perspective.

I’d like to begin with an analogy that expands on this cooking comparison. My book is like a cookbook for data storytelling—it provides recipes, techniques, and principles that you can follow to become a better data storyteller. The book gives you a valuable foundation that you can reference whenever you need guidance. Ultimately, it’s up to you how you interpret the instructions and put them into practice, just like a recipe.

On the other hand, my masterclass is like a hands-on cooking class with an expert chef. Instead of just reading the recipes, you get to watch a master chef demonstrate each technique step by step, following along at your own pace and applying what you’ve learned with guided practice. With a book, there are page limitations on what can be covered and to what level of detail it can go into. In a cooking class environment, you’re able to spend more time on exploring the nuances of the recipes and developing the necessary skills.

To expand on this, I’ve identified six key benefits that the masterclass course adds to the foundational content provided in my book.

1. Stay current: Updated insights and best practices since 2020

Since my book was published at the beginning of 2020, the field of data storytelling has continued to evolve. Since then, I’ve delivered hundreds of workshop sessions in person and virtually. You would now find many handwritten notes and amendments in the margins of my original ‘cookbook.’ In working with groups across various industries, functional areas, and countries, I’ve further refined and enhanced my content over time to meet diverse organizational needs.

For example, my book explores the importance of knowing your audience and the practice of storyboarding your narrative before designing your visuals. Based on client feedback, I’ve vastly expanded the techniques and lessons in these two areas beyond what’s covered in my book.

2. Go beyond the book: Exclusive new content and tools

While my book provides a comprehensive look at the core elements of data storytelling, there are always limitations on how much you can cover. Just like you can’t cover every cuisine in a single cookbook, I had to make tough tradeoffs about what to include in my data storytelling book.

As I’ve delivered training workshops to various organizations, I’ve needed to continue developing new content to address areas that weren’t fully covered in my book. In preparation for launching this masterclass course, I’ve also taken the time to develop additional concepts that I felt were missing from both the book and my training workshops.  

For example, in my book, I don’t discuss the delivery aspect of data stories because I felt at the time there was plenty of presentation delivery content available. However, based on client needs, I’ve since added my perspective on this topic with new frameworks and best practices for the asynchronous (direct) and synchronous (indirect) delivery of data stories.

3. Dive deeper: Expanded examples and detailed guidance

As an author, you’re limited not only by how many topics you can feature but also by how much detail you can provide on each. That means you can’t explore various scenarios or provide multiple examples for each principle or concept like you wish you could. For my online course, I did not take the term ‘masterclass’ lightly and have strived to examine each area in much greater detail with more examples than my book can provide.

There are new concepts that I’m excited to share in this course. One example is Mount SoWhat and how to quantify your insights so that they get your audience’s full attention. Another example is how to develop a visual hierarchy for your data scenes so that they are easier to follow and understand. These are just two of many advanced techniques that we’ll explore in depth in the masterclass—that help transform basic data presentations into memorable, actionable stories that drive decisions.

4. Learn by doing: Interactive exercises and real practice

One of the main benefits of my online course over the book is the clear learning path it offers with hands-on activities and structured guidance. You're no longer just reading a recipe—you are actively watching an expert chef prepare the meal, then you can try it yourself with guided exercises to reinforce your learning. While the book allows for self-paced exploration, the course provides a carefully crafted progression of techniques and concepts, with built-in opportunities to practice each new skill as you develop your data storytelling expertise.

To bridge the gap from theory to application, this course features hands-on activities based on those in my in-person and virtual training workshops. Each lesson features a unique ‘application and reflection’ section that encourages students to put into practice what they’ve learned. The ability to apply these concepts is a critical differentiator of this masterclass course.

5. Connect and grow: Join a community of data storytellers

While having a copy of my data storytelling book is great, what if you could also interact and engage with other likeminded data storytellers, including me? Another benefit that my masterclass course offers is a growing community of business and data professionals who share a passion for data storytelling. Over time, I aim to create a space where members can exchange insights, stories, and learnings with each other in a private community forum. While the underlying techniques and technologies may evolve, the human relationships we form will be integral to mastering and growing within this discipline.

6. Never stop learning: Lifetime access to updated content

Whenever you publish a book, it represents a snapshot in time. It contains a fixed collection of ideas and frameworks. If a new edition is published, you will have to re-purchase the updated version. However, with my masterclass course, you receive lifetime access to all my data storytelling course materials, including updates and new additional content. For instance, as we develop new workshop content or reference tools, we will look at integrating the best new material into the masterclass course.

I don’t want to downplay the value of my book. It lays an essential foundation that anyone can access. The masterclass builds on top of this foundation by providing more refined frameworks, concepts, and techniques for applying this critical skillset. It also provides a richer learning experience with interactive exercises and hands-on application—ensuring that you not only grasp the key concepts of data storytelling but can use them effectively in your work.

As the great chef Julia Child said, 'No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.' If you're ready to move beyond reading recipes to cooking with the guidance of an expert chef, my Effective Data Storytelling Masterclass is ready to help you elevate your skills. Let’s start cooking today!

‍