Analysts are easy to find. Storytellers are rare. But when you have someone who can translate all that data into something simple, clear, and human—that’s when decisions get smarter, faster, and a lot more confident.

I just returned from back-to-back business trips, something that wasn’t uncommon when I worked in the corporate world. Now, as a small business owner, travel is less frequent, but perhaps even more important.

We’re surrounded by noise. Notifications, dashboards, email chains, Zoom fatigue. Content everywhere, attention nowhere. But presence? Real presence? That’s become rare.

There’s a real craft to working with data. Every chart, every metric, every forecast is part of a bigger narrative. Storytelling with data means finding patterns, asking good questions, and translating numbers into meaningful insights.

It’s never been easier to write something that sounds perfect. That’s not always a good thing.

Industry experts Alison Hoyt and Carter Wilson launch Larkspur Hospitality Consulting, offering data-focused consulting and communication coaching.