About the Author

Joshua N. Milligan has been with Teknion Data Solutions since 2004 and currently serves as a Principal Consultant. With a strong background in software development and custom .NET solutions, he brings a blend of analytical and creative thinking to BI solutions, data visualization, and data storytelling. His years of consulting have given Joshua hands on experience with all aspects of the BI development cycle from data modeling, ETL, enterprise deployment, data visualization, and dashboard design. He has worked with clients in numerous industries including financial, energy, healthcare, marketing, government, and services. Joshua has been named by Tableau as a Tableau Zen Master every year since 2014. This places Joshua in a group of individuals recognized by Tableau as not only masters of the tool but also who have a deep desire to teach and help others. As a Tableau Ambassador, trainer, mentor, and leader in the online Tableau community, Joshua is passionate about helping others gain insights from their data. He frequently broadcasts webinars to educate and inform the Tableau community and the world at large about the wonders of Tableau, and is a much sought after featured speaker at Tableau conferences, user groups and various technology and industry functions. He thrives on helping others. Joshua is the author of the first edition of Learning Tableau, which quickly became one of the highest acclaimed Tableau books for users at all levels. He was a technical reviewer of the Tableau Data Visualization Cookbook, Creating Data Stories with Tableau Public, and his work has been featured multiple times on Tableau Public’s Viz of the Day and Tableau’s website. He also shares frequent Tableau tips, tricks, and advice along with a variety of dashboards on his fun and creative blog site, VizPainter.com. You can follow Joshua on Twitter at @VizPainter.

I would like to express profound gratitude to the numerous individuals who have helped me in my journey over the years.  My father, Stuart, introduced me to the world of computers to me when he showed me that I could make the family computer do anything I wanted with code. I stand on the shoulders of giants.  The Tableau training team expanded my horizons. The members of the Tableau community, leaders in the forums, designers, and bloggers continue to broaden my understanding of Tableau and data visualization. Joe Mako, Jonathan Drummey, Ben Jones, and many others have inspired me to press on and never quit learning.  I especially would like to express appreciation for the reviewers. Shawn and Bridget provided key insights, critical challenges, and deeply felt encouragement.  Thank you also to my wonderful wife, Kara, who has encouraged me and loved me every step of the way!