iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Hayden turned 6 months old this week! We’ve used the Huckleberry app to track everything since he was born. Seeing this 6-month visual show up in the app the other day was a cool surprise. Can you spot where those night sleeps finally locked in?

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Friendly reminder! You can log every completed #B2VB project to track your progress in our submission dashboard! 📊 Just head to our site, scroll to the bottom of the page, and fill out the quick Google Form (dashboard refreshes nightly!). 🔗 thetableaustudentguide.com/vizbasics

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

📚 Week 19 of Back 2 Viz Basics is live! Explore a seasonal collection of gothic books while practicing how to Use Dynamic Zone Visibility to swap views cleanly!🍂 #B2VB Data: thetableaustudentguide.com/vizbasics

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Selected as a Tableau Ambassador for the 7th year in a row! My first reaction: "Dang, I'm getting old." My second reaction: reflecting on everything this community taught me. Here are 5 non-technical rules for building a lasting career in analytics 👇

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

🚨Week 18 of Back 2 Viz Basics is live! Explore U.S. seasonal flower bloom timing while practicing how to Use Annotations to add clear story callouts! 🌸🍂 #B2VB 🔗Data: thetableaustudentguide.com/vizbasics

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Week 17 of Back 2 Viz Basics is live! Honor Dolly Parton's legacy using Spotify Daily Top Songs while practicing how to Highlight the Top N! 🎵👑 #B2VB Data: thetableaustudentguide.com/vizbasics

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Week 16 of Back 2 Viz Basics is live! Explore Toronto DineSafe restaurant inspection records while practicing how to Build a Mobile View! #B2VB Download, viz, share, and tag us! Data: thetableaustudentguide.com/vizbasics

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

🚨Week 15 of Back 2 Viz Basics is live! Explore global Airlines COVID Recovery trends (2019-2024) by practicing Small Multiples to compare side-by-side trajectories cleanly! ✈️📊 #B2VB Data: thetableaustudentguide.com/vizbasics

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

🚨Week 14 of Back 2 Viz Basics is live! It is a World Cup summer, and since it only happens every 4 years, we are dropping final team attacking stats. The twist? Choose Your Own Chart! ⚽🏆 #B2VB Data: www.thetableaustudentguide.com/vizbasics

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

🚨 #B2VB Week 13: Parameters & #GameNightViz 🎮 Ready to level up? This week we are mapping IMDb reviews for Spider-Man video games. Focus on building clean user experiences using parameters! 🔗Data: thetableaustudentguide.com/vizbasics Build, Post with #B2VB & #GameNightViz, Tag & submit!

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

🚨Big updates for #B2VB data.world is retiring, so all datasets are moving directly to our website. No extra accounts or logins needed, just direct downloads! We're migrating our history now. We're also switching to a clean table format instead of separate prompts. Let us know any hiccups!

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

🚨 #B2VB Week 12: Build a Map Ready to map the 2026 FIFA World Cup? This week we explore the 48 nations competing on the global stage. Practice your spatial mapping skills and show us where the tournament stands. 🔗 Data: bit.ly/4eWVsXN Build, Post, Tag, & Submit!

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

🚨 #B2VB Week 11: Build a Timeline In partnership with the LGBTQ+ Tableau User Group, we are exploring marriage equality milestones. Choose your own timeline chart to show how same-sex marriage recognition has progressed chronologically across the globe since 2001. 🔗 Data: bit.ly/4euoZYH

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

🚨#B2VB Week 10: Build a Heatmap Let's look at ocean conservation trends! This week we're exploring sea turtle sightings and strandings data from Canada. Practice using color with purpose to reveal patterns instantly. To Join: ✅Build your viz ✅Post with #B2VB ✅Tag us & submit 🔗Data: bit.ly/4fpPjnZ

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

🚨 #B2VB Week 9: Build a Scatterplot Where is everyone traveling? This week we're exploring global tourism trends and focusing on finding the relationship between visitor volume and spending. ✅Build your viz ✅Post with #B2VB ✅Tag us & submit! 🔗Data: bit.ly/4uzvLBy

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

🚨 #B2VB Week 8: Visualizing Rank TC26 is right around the corner! This week we are ranking breweries within a few miles of the San Diego Convention Center. Practice your ranking and sorting skills to highlight the top spots for the community. 🍻 🔗 Data: bit.ly/4u6pEVc

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

🚨 #B2VB Week 7: Making Insights Clear Charts are good, but stories are better! This week we are focusing on storytelling using US data center statistics. Practice guiding your audience to the key message. To Join: ✅ Build your viz ✅ Post with #B2VB ✅ Tag us & submit! 🔗 Data: bit.ly/4muBJRB

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

🚨 #B2VB Week 6: Treemaps The Oscars are in the books! 🎬 This week we are building Treemaps using the 98th Academy Awards results. Practice showing part to whole relationships at a glance. To Join: ✅ Build your viz ✅ Post with #B2VB ✅ Tag us & submit! 🔗 Data: bit.ly/4dDx3q2

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Data vizzes show up in the most unexpected places. Stopped by the Lucid Motors store this weekend and spotted this on their display. What’s your favorite “‘data viz in the wild?” Drop it below!

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

🚨 #B2VB Week 5: Text Tables Precision matters! This week we are building Text Tables using the Top 50 shows on Crunchyroll. Practice creating a clean, easy-to-scan layout for detailed data. To Join: ✅ Build your viz ✅ Post with #B2VB ✅ Tag us & submit! 🔗 Data: bit.ly/4bh3iIT

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

📢 #B2VB Week 4: Shapes & Icons The 2026 Winter Games are over, but the viz is just starting! This week we are mastering the Shape shelf using the final medal table results. To Join: ✅ Build your viz ✅ Post with #B2VB ✅ Tag us & submit! 🔗 Data: bit.ly/3MM6qUN

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

📢#B2VB 2026 Week 3: Dot Plots We’re comparing pet populations across the globe! The Goal: Use a dot plot to show the spread or ranking of cat and dog ownership by country. To Participate:✅ Build your viz ✅ Post with #B2VB ✅ Tag us & submit! 🔗Data: bit.ly/45V13Jx

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

🚨#B2VB Week 2: Line Charts We're mastering the basics by looking at U.S. Airline profits from 2015–2024. The Goal: Visualize how profits evolved before, during, and after the pandemic. To Participate: ✅ Build your viz ✅ Post with #B2VB ✅ Tag us & submit! 🔗 Data: bit.ly/4k5WPoi

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Our Submissions Tracker is REVAMPED! We’ve officially updated the tracker on Tableau Public with a brand-new look. ⚠️ The 2026 Challenge: If you complete every challenge this year, you’ll earn a spot in our elite #B2VB All-Stars group! Start your streak today! 🔗 Tracker: tabsoft.co/4sK3SXy

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

📢 #B2VB 2026 Week 1: Build a Bar Chart Back to basics! We're mastering the bar chart using WEF Youth Pulse 2026 data. The Mission: Rank the economic trends shaping the future. To Participate: ✅ Build your viz ✅ Post with #B2VB ✅ Tag us & submit on our site! 🔗 Data: bit.ly/4bpD2h6

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

🌟 Back 2 Viz Basics returns this Monday! We’re kicking off a new year of foundational #DataViz challenges. Open to all skill levels and any BI tool. Check the graphics below for a refresher on what we're all about. Let's build those skills in 2026! #B2VB #DataFam #DataVisualization

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

One week into 2026 and the productivity pressure is already in full swing. Roadmaps. Big goals. Perfect schedules. Here’s the trap: measuring your day against the version of yourself that had unlimited time and energy... AKA Toxic Productivity

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

2025 was an incredible year for Back 2 Viz Basics! A massive shoutout to our 2025 All-Stars: - Ann Stolzman, Kyeongseok Min, and Natsumi Goto for completing all 25 challenges! - Izumi, Raisa Hannus, and Yasushi Ishikawa for getting close! 2026 kicks off soon!! #B2VB

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

That’s a wrap on 2025! A huge thank you to the Back 2 Viz Basics #B2VB community for an amazing year. Our goal is to help everyone build dataviz foundations with no barriers to entry regardless of the tool you use. Your participation make this project possible. We’ll be back in 2026! See you soon!

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

📢 Dashboard Design Lab: Week 4 - Fonts & Typography. Text is the foundation of your dashboard structure. If your fonts are fighting, your users are struggling. 📬Substack: tinyurl.com/4yrzjr2z ✏️Medium: tinyurl.com/yj3jd4ud #DataViz #PowerBI #Tableau #DataStorytelling

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Dashboard refresh complete: New metric added → Baby Balash (March 2026) 🩵

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

📢 Dashboard Design Lab: Week 3 This week’s topic is Color Theory and Usage. Color should guide attention and support the story, not distract from it. 📬Substack tinyurl.com/5n78vy98 ✏️Medium tinyurl.com/wn4be7fd #DataVisualization #PowerBI #Tableau

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

💡Started a new blog series called Dashboard Design Lab, sharing what our team is learning each week about building better dashboards in #Tableau and #PowerBI. Week 1: Designing to a Grid. 📬 Substack: tinyurl.com/4h7n2p6a ✏️ Medium: tinyurl.com/ymp45krm

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Spent the last couple weeks traveling through Southern Spain and Casablanca. Met some awesome people and reconnected with old friends along the way. It was a much-needed reset. Feeling clear-headed, recharged, and ready to get back into the swing of things!

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

📢Back 2 Viz Basics Team Update: We're thrilled to welcome Victory Omovrah to the Back 2 Viz Basics team! Victory is a 2024 Tableau Public Ambassador whose impact goes far beyond her incredible dashboards. She’s always uplifting others, sharing community work, and (1/2)

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

🚨 #TC25 attendees: Don’t forget your headphones! Theater sessions this year are BYOH! You’ll listen through the event app using Live Session Audio. If you forget, no worries, disposable headphones will be available in Data Village and the Content Pavilion. See you in San Diego! #Tableau #DATA25

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

We’re less than a week away from the biggest data event of the year, Tableau Conference 2025! I’m excited to be presenting two sessions this year 👇 Favorite my sessions: sforce.co/4iDYu2p #TC25 #Tableau #DataFam

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

🎙️New Data Afterhours episode! In S2E6, I chat with Rekha Srivatsan, SVP & CMO of Tableau. We talk gardening, Bravo TV, and how she unwinds outside of work. 🎧Listen here: spoti.fi/4leXCmS or wherever you get your podcasts. #DataAfterhours #Tableau #Podcast #Leadership

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

📊 New Dashboard Alert! I’m starting the year by keeping a closer eye on my health and fitness data. My new Tableau dashboard combines insights from my Oura ring, Withings scale, and Apple Watch, which helps me identify trends and track progress more effectively. Check it out: tabsoft.co/3G4hRmY

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Excited to be presenting two sessions at #TC25! 🏡5 DASHBOARD PITFALLS LEARNED FROM HOMEOWNERSHIP: Dashboards = homeownership. Plan, organize, & avoid costly mistakes! 📊BACK 2 VIZ BASICS LIVE: #B2VB is back! Learn, create, & grow with the #DataFam Favorite my sessions here: sforce.co/4iDYu2p

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

🎙️New Data Afterhours episode! In S2E4, I chat with Neil Emery, Director of Analytics Engineering at Lehigh Valley Health Network. We dive into his love for Taekwondo, and his passion for electronics & car audio. 🎧 Listen now: bit.ly/4hdmaJB #DataAfterhours #Podcast

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

🎙️ New Data Afterhours episode! In S2E2, I chat with Joe McFarren, Senior Strategic Alliances Manager at Sigma Computing. We step beyond data to talk baking, cooking, and cycling! 🎧 Listen here: spoti.fi/419CeHS or wherever you get your podcasts. #DataAfterhours

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

🎙️Data Afterhours is back with Season 2! Kicking things off is Michelle Oh, BI Developer at Booz Allen Hamilton. We dive into her unique mix of sociology & data analytics, plus her passions for fitness, crochet, & more. #DataAfterhours Listen here: spoti.fi/4hqP3md or wherever you get your podcasts

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

🚨 Tomorrow we launch our LIVE Back 2 Viz Basics Series! This series pairs with our challenges as I walk you through how to build the featured chart or technique - all live! It’s hands-on, interactive, and anything can happen. #B2VB Join live on: 🔗 LinkedIn: bit.ly/40H8gL2 🔗 YouTube: bit.ly/4gZmyMA

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Curious about how to participate in Back 2 Viz Basics? Check out the steps below! It’s easy to join, sharpen your data viz skills, and share your creations with the community. We launch Monday, 1/13 - don’t miss out! #B2VB www.thetableaustudentguide.com/vizbasics

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Eric Balash @ericbalash.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

🚨 Back 2 Viz Basics is ready to kick off 2025! Our first challenge launches next Monday, 1/13. We’re starting off the year with topics like line charts and bar charts, plus new features like live how-to tutorials and more! #B2VB Learn more here: thetableaustudentguide.com/vizbasics

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