In this episode, Jeff Gould sits down with Scott Sandal—a ranch kid from rural South Dakota who found himself in the middle of one of the most complex and rapidly growing industries in the world: data centers. What starts as a simple conversation quickly turns into a fascinating look at the invisible infrastructure powering our daily lives. From cloud storage and streaming to AI, energy consumption, and global competition, Scott breaks down a topic most people don’t understand—but depend on every single day. This isn’t just about technology. It’s about scale, energy, human behavior, and the unintended consequences of a world that never stops creating and storing data. What we cover: * What data centers actually are—and where your data really lives * How a ranch kid ended up working around the world in tech infrastructure * The explosion of data storage and why we keep saving everything * Why the “cloud” is far more physical (and energy-intensive) than you think * The massive power demands behind data centers—and what a gigawatt really means * Why some facilities consume more energy than entire communities * The environmental and infrastructure challenges of scaling data storage * Bitcoin mining and why it’s controversial in the industry * The global race for AI, compute power, and technological dominance * Concerns around regulation, zoning, and unchecked expansion * How communities should think about data centers moving forward If you’ve ever wondered where your photos, emails, and streaming content actually go—or what it really costs to store and access it—this conversation will open your eyes. 👍 Like the video if you learned something new 🔁 Share it with someone who needs to hear this 💬 Drop your biggest takeaway in the comments Scott Sandal grew up on a ranch in western South Dakota and took an unexpected path into the world of data centers and digital infrastructure. With decades of experience, he now works with organizations around the world to improve efficiency, performance, and design within data center environments—helping shape the backbone of the digital age. https://www.sunbirddcim.com/ Hashtags:#JeffGould #ScottSandal #DataCenters #TechExplained #CloudComputing #ArtificialIntelligence #EnergyCrisis #DigitalInfrastructure #Bitcoin #CryptoMining #FutureOfTech #AI #BigData #Technology #Innovation #Podcast #LongFormInterview #Infrastructure #Energy #techtalk ____ Learn all about America's Storyteller on his website: https://www.ilikethatstory.com Buy Jeff's books, CD, and audio book: https://www.ilikethatstory.net/shop Get urgent one-on-one coaching with Jeff now: https://calendly.com/jeffjgould Connect with Jeff on social media: LinkedIn — jeff-gould-americas-storyteller Twitter/X — https://x.com/jeffgouldstory Instagram — jeffgouldilikethatstory Facebook — jeffgouldilikethatstory For booking, contact: Email: [email protected] Phone: (605) 215-6414 or https://www.ilikethatstory.net/contact Send business/sponsorship inquiries to [email protected] © Jeff Gould, America's Storyteller This video is not to be reproduced without prior authorization. The original YouTube video may be distributed & embedded, if required. Callers waive all rights to privacy on this public call in show. If you need private coaching, pay for and book a call at https://www.ilikethatstory.com