Tap Into Data 001

Most podcasts bury their first take. Tap Into Data put theirs out. Episode 001 is a short launch teaser from hosts Adam Chartrand and Jared Westrem. It announces the show and, in the spirit of a happy hour podcast, shares a blooper from recording the intro.

The clip runs about thirty seconds. It still tells you a lot about how the show sounds.

The first take

It starts the way it should: "Welcome to Tap Into Data, the happy hour podcast." Then it falls apart. Adam is calling in while driving in Canada. As the hosts tell it, you can't have your phone mounted up on the dash there, so instead of Adam, viewers get a view of his center console.

"Who would have thought that? Who would have thought?" Then the next problem shows up: "Hey, where's our music? Where's our intro?" The answer comes right away: "Oh yeah, I got to get that dialed in here."

So the opening has no intro music and no host on camera. That's how a lot of first attempts go, whether it's a podcast or a pilot program.

Why share the blooper

The hosts could have waited until everything was polished. They put the rough version out because a launch should come with a little humility, and they want the show to bring plenty of learning and some laughs along the way.

That fits the show they want to make. Tap Into Data is meant to sound like two friends who know the field talking over a drink, not a vendor pitch or a lecture. If the hosts can admit their own intro didn't go to plan, they're more likely to be straight about the parts of data, AI and automation that are still hard.

What the show is about

Tap Into Data is a practical podcast about how data, AI, and technology are changing business and everyday life. The focus is real-world stories and candid conversations, without jargon. The main topics are:

• Drones and automated inspection: drone-in-a-box systems, remote operations, and robotics and sensors taking over dangerous manual inspection work.
• Utilities and renewable energy: inspection automation, solar and wind project data, operations and maintenance, and moving from reactive to proactive asset management.
• AI at work: trusting your data before you trust AI, AI adoption, and which tools actually help.
• Data in business operations: turning business problems into clear answers, KPI-based reporting, and real-time project data.
• Pilot to production: running pilots that prove ROI, then scaling them into full programs.

The format mixes guest interviews, host-only recap episodes, and the occasional hands-on walkthrough.

The hosts

Jared Westrem: owns Westrem Consulting. He has worn many hats in autonomous inspection, from developing autonomous inspection methods with partners to leading strategic customer solutions. He focuses on automating repeatable robotic and sensor data collection, cutting inspection work from days to hours, and helping utilities turn raw data into decisions.

Adam Chartrand: is Founder and President of Purely Sustainable Consulting Inc. and an Advisor with MacKay CEO Forums. His background is in utilities, renewable energy, operations, and data-driven project delivery, including bringing KPI-based reporting to clients so they could see progress and costs. He now helps renewable energy organizations across North America explore automation, AI and emerging technology.

Between them, they cover both the field and the boardroom: what works on site and what makes sense for the business.

First up: Gurmeet Mangat

The teaser also announces the first full conversation with Gurmeet Mangat, which was due to drop on the main podcast platforms later that launch week. Gurmeet's conversations on the show deal with how to turn business problems into answers using data. If you're starting the show from the beginning, that's the next episode to watch.

Press play above to watch the thirty-second blooper that started Tap Into Data.

Key takeaways

• Episode 001 is a short launch teaser: Adam Chartrand and Jared Westrem announce Tap Into Data and share a blooper from their first intro.
• The intro had no music and no host on camera, because Adam was driving in Canada and could only show his center console.
• The hosts released the rough version on purpose, because they want the show to be honest about what doesn't go to plan.
• The show covers drones and automated inspection, utilities and renewables, AI at work, data in operations, and taking pilots to production.
• The first full guest conversation features Gurmeet Mangat.