119 - Why Your Reporting Creates Stress

Rich: Most teams don’t have a data problem — they have a reporting problem. Too many dashboards, too many metrics, not enough answers. Hey Zac, we’re back in the new year. We took a short pause for Christmas, hope everyone had a good holiday, and now we’re back to talk about a very common issue.

Zac: A reporting problem. Why your reporting is more stressful than it needs to be.

Rich: Exactly. Everyone says they want more data — data, data, data — but most teams don’t actually need more data. They need cleaner reports with the right data. We’ll get into that after we talk about today’s cocktail: the Nashi Highball.

Zac: This one is absolutely a Zac cocktail. The Nashi Highball was created at Kiko, a Japanese-influenced restaurant and bar in New York City, as part of a focus on modern, food-friendly highballs.

Rich: Okay.

Zac: The goal was low-proof, refreshing drinks that complement a meal instead of overpowering it. “Nashi” refers to an Asian pear, which ties into the spiced pear liqueur used in the drink and gives it a crisp, delicate flavor. It blends Japanese whisky, manzanilla sherry, verjus blanc, and pickled ginger syrup, which is probably the wildest ingredient here. Rich, want to walk through the recipe?

Rich: Yeah, and I’m a big pear-liqueur fan, so this one really works for me. One and a quarter ounces Japanese whisky, three-quarters of an ounce spiced pear liqueur, half an ounce manzanilla sherry, a quarter ounce verjus blanc, a quarter ounce pickled ginger syrup, and half a teaspoon cane syrup. Stir everything except soda water, top with soda, and garnish with a bay leaf — don’t eat the bay leaf.

Zac: The pickled ginger syrup is made by blending sugar, water, and pickled sushi ginger, then straining and refrigerating it. You only use a quarter ounce per drink, so it lasts a while.

Rich: You can strain it through cheesecloth if needed — just make sure there are no chunks. This recipe comes from punchdrink.com.

Zac: They focus on higher-end cocktail bars, and I found this while reading their article on the best cocktail bars in Asheville, North Carolina.

Rich: Perfect. After a quick break, we’ll talk about why you don’t have a data problem — you have a reporting problem.

Rich: We’re back. So again, you don’t have a data problem, you have a reporting problem.

Zac: And that’s where a lot of the stress comes from.

Rich: Exactly. Where do you usually see that stress coming from?

Zac: According to the Supermetrics Marketing Data Report, marketers are using 230% more data than in 2020, but over half say they don’t have time to analyze it. Data availability has outpaced insight.

Rich: Information overload. Forty percent also say their dashboards don’t support decision-making. If no one uses your dashboard, it’s broken. At the same time, 87% say data is underutilized, which creates a huge disconnect.

Zac: More data creates confusion, especially when teams focus on vanity metrics like likes or followers instead of business outcomes.

Rich: Exactly. Vanity metrics feel good but don’t drive decisions. Useful metrics show actions, behavior, and outcomes. For us, engagement from existing clients matters more than reach.

Zac: Vanity metrics don’t support decisions. Reporting needs intent. If you don’t know why a metric exists, it shouldn’t be there.

Rich: I always ask, “So what?” If you can’t answer why a metric matters, remove it. Most companies only need four to six core metrics.

Zac: And that’s usually why reporting feels stressful — too many numbers, no clarity.

Rich: Right. If a metric doesn’t help you decide something, it’s just noise.

Zac: Tools can also cause problems when reporting lives in five or six different systems.

Rich: We see that constantly. Systems that don’t talk to each other create conflicting numbers. That’s why consolidation matters — one system of record with others as validation.

Zac: Gartner research backs that up — poor data governance, not lack of tools, is the biggest barrier to analytics.

Rich: Most teams have too many tools, not too few.

Zac: So what does good reporting look like in practice?

Rich: Clear, measurable goals. SMART goals. Then work backward. Each report should answer one question and support a decision.

Zac: And only report on things you can influence. Remove anything that doesn’t matter.

Rich: Exactly. If I asked for five years of weekly social engagement, you’d ask why.

Zac: Because it doesn’t matter anymore and we can’t influence it.

Rich: Always ask why and so what. Curiosity alone isn’t a reporting strategy.

Zac: That feels like a good place to land this episode.

Rich: Reporting is hard — even ours needs cleanup — but clarity always reduces stress.

Zac: You can find our agency at antidote71.com and all of our socials there. We’re also hiring a HubSpot Specialist and a Digital Marketing Coordinator — fully remote in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Carolina. Visit careers.antidote71.com.

Rich: And if you join the team, you might end up on the podcast.

Zac: If you have a question, head to ctapodcast.live or leave a voicemail at 402-718-9971. Next week’s episode is about the HubSpot features clients ask us about the most.

Rich: Sounds good. Have a great new year, everyone.