

Explicit Measures Podcast
PowerBI.Tips
Hosted by Mike Carlo, and Tommy Puglia, the Explicit Measures Podcast is a Power BI focused show that is like being around a Power BI Pro’s Water Cooler. With so many available resources in the community that focuses on the “how” in Power BI (how to do Drill Through, how to use DAX, etc.,), the Explicit Measures Podcast is all around the WHY. Why use a particular feature, does it make sense for my users?
Build the toolset, learn the how, and then come to the Podcast to the listen to the why in situations we all experience as Power BI Pros.
Build the toolset, learn the how, and then come to the Podcast to the listen to the why in situations we all experience as Power BI Pros.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 29, 2021 • 1h 2min
17: If I Was James Phillips For a Year
The guys are back before the summer kicks off, and it is time to think about the future. James Phillips, who runs Microsoft's Power Platform, has an amazing job. He is responsible for the direction of Power BI, Power Apps, and the Dynamics platforms. But what if the guys had the reigns? Take $100 dollar "budget" and what would we do for the next year if we had the control?
Get in touch:
Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/
Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPwPrIpZwlfIKcoUpRwl9OQ
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv
Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083
Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/
Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/
Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Jun 24, 2021 • 37min
16: The Best and Worst of Self Service in Power BI
Let's face it: Self-Service in Power B is a hot topic. The Explicit Measures Podcast dives into what makes up a solid Self-Service process, and why are there so many pitfalls around it once implemented. How do we balance sources of truth and at the same time allowing businesses and users build and create insights they need for themselves and their teams? How do maintain and deploy self-service, and what can we can we do to ensure trust in our data?
Get in touch:
Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips website.
Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/
Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPwPrIpZwlfIKcoUpRwl9OQ
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv
Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083
Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/
Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/
Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Jun 22, 2021 • 55min
15: What It Means To Be A Microsoft MVP for Power BI
The Explicit Measures Podcast dives into what it means to be a Microsoft MVP and their own journeys becoming one. If you have ever considered wanting to take the steps to be a Microsoft MVP, and what it takes from 3 current ones, this is a great episode to listen closely to. Besides the contributions, the guys go into what traits and what is going to keep you away from burnout, and why you must be passionate.
We are also launching a way for listeners to submit topic ideas! Simply Tweet @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag to submit a topic or question you want us to discuss on the show!
Get in touch:
Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips website.
Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/
Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPwPrIpZwlfIKcoUpRwl9OQ
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv
Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083
Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/
Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/
Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Jun 17, 2021 • 51min
14: Power BI Custom Visuals - Use Them or Lose Them: How Important Are They?
Mike, Seth, and Tommy go head-on with the state of Custom Visuals in Power BI. Power BI Custom Visuals have been available since October 2015, with Microsoft providing developer tools, a visual gallery, and the ability to import them into desktop and the service. The community was buzzing, and the potential seemed limitless.
Fast forward to today: with over 330 Custom Visuals available in the Microsoft AppSource and countless others available on GitHub, what is the experience of using, developing, and discovering Custom Visuals for a Power BI Pro? With over 5 years of Custom Visuals, are they meeting the expectations and has the overall product matured from the launch in 2015?
The guys get heated over what it means to need a visual outside of the standard ones provided, what is lacking in the experience to find a Custom Visual to suit their needs, and what is frustrating when trying to configure a Custom Visual in their reports. Finally, where would they put their money to make the experience better for developers, pros, and users?
Get in touch:
Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips website.
Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/
Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPwPrIpZwlfIKcoUpRwl9OQ
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv
Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083
Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/
Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/
Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Jun 15, 2021 • 31min
13: Staying Atop Power BI News & Features
The guys share some of their favorite ways and tools that help them updated on anything happening in the Power BI world. Understanding how quickly the BI industry changes and evolves, along with always striving to learn new methods and skills from the amazing Power BI Community, it is integral to any Power BI Pro to be able to find, consume, and refer to amazing and latest content that continually is shared on the digital and physical platforms. Learn about why it is important, tools, blogs, and sources to stay current, and what it means to continually learn and gain new skills.
Get in touch:
Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips website.
Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/
Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPwPrIpZwlfIKcoUpRwl9OQ
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv
Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083
Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/
Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/
Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Jun 10, 2021 • 54min
12: Power BI Processes: What Is your Process, and Why Is It Important?
The Explicit Measures gang is back with a fun one! We all deal with report building, managing content, and managing users. If you don't have a process around what you are building, and how to get others to follow it, you are asking for complications and misaligned expectations. Mike, Seth, and Tommy run through how important a process is, what makes a process, and how to implement on for your team and organization.
Get in touch:
Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips website.
Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/
Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPwPrIpZwlfIKcoUpRwl9OQ
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv
Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083
Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/
Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/
Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Jun 8, 2021 • 47min
11: Dataflows and You: What Role Do Power BI Dataflows Play, Or What Role Should They?
The Explicit Measures Podcast is back for their 11th show, and it heats up talking about the role of Dataflows at organizations. If you have never used Power BI Dataflows before, or trying to understand where do they fit into your Power BI Ecosystem, you do not want to miss this one. From Seth's enterprise experience to Tommy's Business User side, how much potential should or do Dataflows have? Do they complicate data more, or should they be empowered to the user? Listen in to an excellent 11th episode that heats up on Power BI Dataflows.
Get in touch:
Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/
Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPwPrIpZwlfIKcoUpRwl9OQ
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv
Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083
Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/
Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/
Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Jun 3, 2021 • 36min
10: All Hype, No Users: What Can We Do About a Power BI Report Lacking Engagement?
The Explicit Measures Podcast is back and made it to ten episodes! Mike, Seth, and Tommy finish the up the week discussing common situations Power BI Pros run into when dealing with reporting requests: The "Business Changing" request, a report that was needed to be built yesterday, and the pressure and stress we deal with delivering these types of Reports to stakeholders. The Report is finally published, but what then occurs is the lack of engagement or interest from the business on consuming this new Report. What happened to being "Business Changing"? The guys talk about identifying why this happens, what reasons does engagement and views drop off, and try to find the core problems with a report not meeting expectations. But they have solutions too! What can a Power BI Pro do to solve, or rectify a Report in this limbo, and how can we prevent this for future report development?
Get in touch:
Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips website.
Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/
Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPwPrIpZwlfIKcoUpRwl9OQ
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv
Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083
Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/
Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/
Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Jun 1, 2021 • 44min
09: Q&A, Anomalies, & Advanced Insights in Power BI: Is Anyone Using Them?
Mike, Seth, and Tommy are back after the Memorial Day Weekend diving into Advanced Analytics features that are available in Power BI, yet none of the guys have seen them really used in the "wild". All of the AI visuals, from Q&A, Anomalies, Analyze By, and Smart Narratives are incredibly powerful, but why are not they not widely used in our reports? Why is this? And how important should these features be in our reporting development? This episode really goes to the heart of what are the real benefits of the Advanced Analytics features in Power BI, and where do they fit in our production Reports.
Get in touch:
Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips website.
Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/
Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPwPrIpZwlfIKcoUpRwl9OQ
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv
Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083
Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/
Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/
Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

May 27, 2021 • 56min
08: Breakthrough Moments Becoming a Power BI Pro
Mike, Seth, and Tommy share pivotal milestones in their Power BI Journey that shaped their careers and the way they approach Power BI as a skillset. Common struggles along the way, and what were their "Ah-Ha!" moments? Anyone who has been working in the Power Platform understands how significant those times finally understanding how DAX filter contexts works or getting report development right. If you have been on the Power BI Journey for a while now, this will bring up found memories and those struggles becoming victories. If you are working through one now, the guys let you know that they know the pain!
The guys start out by touching on the announcement of Tabular Editor 3 coming out soon!
Get in touch:
Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips website.
Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/
Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPwPrIpZwlfIKcoUpRwl9OQ
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv
Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083
Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/
Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/
Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/


