On Tuesday, May 1, 2012, Lucidity CEO Randall Bolten joined David Domzalski on Financial Bin Radio to talk about his new book, Painting with Numbers. Make sure to check out the review we did on the book here.

About Randall and the book:

Author Randall Bolten asserts that mastering the rules of presenting numbers is not so different from — and just as important as ­– mastering the rules of grammar, spelling, diction, sentence structure, and paragraph organization we spend years learning in school. The rules and practices that help you present numbers clearly and effectively are similar to the rules and practices that make people effective and eloquent writers and speakers, asserts the former Silicon Valley executive. Unfortunately, very little of your education was probably devoted to developing these skills.

Moreover, as with any other form of communication, when presenting numbers you are constantly sending all kinds of messages to your audience — about your respect for your audience, your professionalism, your attention to detail, your work ethic, and even your perceived intelligence. Even small errors can have a disproportionately negative impact on your audience¹s understanding as well as on their opinion of you. With sympathy for the presenter and wit, Bolten addresses these messages you may be sending, and how to manage them. 

1. Randall, can you take us through your career coming out of Princeton and Stanford, then becoming a finance executive in Silicon Valley?

2. Could you tell us a little about your work as CEO of Lucidity?

3. What led you to write Painting with Numbers?

4. Tell us about the book. What’s your main goal with it?

5. In all of your years of experience, what are the top 2 or 3 mistakes people giving presentations involving numbers make? How can the book help?

6. What kind of feedback and media coverage have you received about Painting with Numbers?

7. At Financial Bin, we focus on personal finance and entrepreneurship for Gen Y. If you could give the members of Gen Y one tip, what would it be?

8. How can listeners get in contact with you and pick up a copy of the book?