Latest posts

Below are the most recent articles or resources I’ve published. If you are looking for help on a specific topics, it would best to look at the topics in my Articles archive as I have grouped my recent and best articles by topic there.

  • Excel Dataviz Tutorial: Show Max, Min, & Scores for multiple criteria

    I created this visual based on a request from a student in the Master of Finance program at Queens University. They asked how to visually show the scores on multiple criteria for the organizations they were analyzing. I created a bar chart for each criteria that shows the score, how far it was from the…… Continue reading

  • Remove the background of a photo from your iPhone and add it to a PowerPoint slide

    If you want to add a photo of a person or an object from your iPhone to a PowerPoint presentation without the background, the video below shows you how easy it is using the background removal feature of the Photos app on an iPhone. The video was recorded on my iPhone (4-year-old model!) so you…… Continue reading

  • Use HDMI to connect a laptop to a desktop PC as a second monitor/screen (Windows)

    If you have a Windows desktop computer and you want to use a spare laptop as a second screen, you can do that and in this video I’ll show you how. Links to products mentioned in this video: Pluggable DisplayLink adapter for HDMI output port: https://amzn.to/3NveVS9 HDMI to USB Video Capture Device: https://amzn.to/3IZQGX4 (if that…… Continue reading

  • Slide makeovers for non-financial metrics

    If you work for a government affiliated agency you do not report profit-focused metrics because profit is not your objective. You report on metrics that are important to your organization but are often not financial in nature. You have goals or targets to meet and you measure progress against them. In this article I want…… Continue reading

  • Excel Chart Hack: Put data series labels in the bars of a bar chart instead of the legend

    In a previous video (https://youtu.be/jqA5BUbgAFM) I showed how to replace the legend in a column chart with labels added using a scatter chart. Someone asked if this could also be done for a bar chart. This video shows you how. It is a slightly different approach because the scatter plot has to be placed on…… Continue reading

  • Create a graph in PowerPoint using data and formulas from Excel for increased functionality

    Using the default copy and paste for an Excel graph into PowerPoint results in a link back to the Excel file. If that file is on a drive you can’t access, you can’t edit the graph. If you use the Embed workbook option when pasting the graph into PowerPoint you make the PowerPoint file large,…… Continue reading

  • Cool effect for presenting Excel column charts/graphs in PowerPoint | Morph alternative hack

    Morph, the great PowerPoint feature that you can use with images, shapes, and text to create effects that look like a professional video is not available for charts. Charts are much more complex and Morph isn’t able to figure out where all the different elements should move. This video will show you a cool effect…… Continue reading

  • Resources to nail your job interview presentation

    So many professionals have been let go recently due to financial uncertainty. Companies are laying off good people who have produced good results. This may be you or someone you know. I’ve started publishing short articles to help these folks nail the presentation portion of their job interview (presentations are becoming common as part of…… Continue reading

  • Go beyond the basic Excel charts to impress recruiters in a job interview presentation

    If you’ve recently been laid off and want to impress a recruiter or hiring manager with an effective data visual, you will want to consider going beyond the basic Excel charts that they will see from everyone else. What you show in a job interview presentation will demonstrate how effective you can communicate analysis to…… Continue reading

  • Here’s how to start creating graphs in Excel to visualize data for a job interview presentation

    It doesn’t matter whether you and your team delivered good results, sometimes a cutback in staff can result in you being let go. If that’s happened to you recently you want to be prepared to show potential employers the positive impact you made at your last job. Data on key metrics is one of the…… Continue reading