The CollabTalk Podcast

Episode 114 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), and Office Apps & Services MVP Daniel Anderson (@sharepointfocus), a Product Evangelist and Partner Manager heading up the APAC team for Valo Intranet, and a long-time SharePoint and Microsoft 365 consultant based in Melbourne, Australia. In this episode, Daniel and I talk about his long career in the SharePoint community, and the need to remember (and share!) the fundamentals of the technology because the community continues to rapidly grow -- and new people need to know the basics before jumping into advanced topics. We then segue into a conversation around the Microsoft 365 Maturity Model and the focus on employee experiences, including the new Microsoft Viva announcement (and its impact on companies like Valo). You can also watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/Xsk_MrNryiI

Episode 113 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, andfellow Office Apps & Services MVP Emily Mancini (@EEmancini), an Architect and the 4th MVP from Sympraxis Consulting, a member of Microsoft's Patterns and Practices (PnP) team, and a certified UX Master from Nielsen Norman Group, based in St. Petersburg, Florida. In this episode, Emily and I talk about some of her activities within the PnP community, and the work that she and the Sympraxis team are doing around the Microsoft Maturity Model, which is based off of the great work done years ago by community member Sadie Van Buren on the SharePoint Maturity Model. Emily shares some of her experiences in supporting change management and governance initiatives, which helped prepare her for her current role. You can also watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/iGVis8Cyo54

Episode 112 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and dual MVP's in Business Applications and Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Regional Director Tobias Fenster (@tobiasfenster), an Ulm, Germany-based information technology professional skilled in IT strategy, Software as a Service (SaaS), solution architecture, software development, and Docker. Tobias is also the Chief Technology Officer for Cosmo Consult. In this episode, Tobias and I discussed his activities with Business Central, Microsoft's cloud-based ERP solution for small and midsize organizations. While Business Central is his primary focus, he also writes and speaks on topics such as Docker containers, Azure DevOps, Visual Studio, Azure automation, and the broader Dynamics ERP space. We also talked a little bit about our shared experiences in the manufacturing sector, and the growth of Dynamics over the past few years as more companies are turning to Microsoft for flexible CRM and ERP solutions. You can also watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/9XNqsZyHmnk

Episode 111 of the #MVPbuzzChat​ series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Business Applications MVP Oleksandr Olashya (@dancingwithcrm), a certified Dynamics 365 Architect and MCT with experience in CRM 2015 and Dynamics 365 for CE, and a CRM Architect with 3shape. In this episode, Oleksandr and I joked about the "need" for more dance-centric development interfaces, but then talked extensively about how much of his time is focused on building out PowerApps Portals. We talk talked about some of the changes to the space, and how with the latest API advances, Microsoft has really expanded the capabilities of these portals. Oleksandr points out that while more development skills are needed to master the PowerApps Portals, the tools are more powerful than ever -- albeit pushing the limits of being considered "low code" solutions. You can also watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/z3AO0PZ5fgE

Episode 110 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Office Apps & Services MVP Johnny Lopez (@rockett_15), a Microsoft 365 expert and Managing Consultant for Catapult Systems who is based in Houston, Texas. Johnny spent over 10 years in the US Navy, which is where he cut his teeth on SharePoint by deploying SPS2003, and is the President for the Houston Office 365 Community and the co-leader in the Houston Power Platform User Group. In this episode, Johnny and I discuss his passion for technology, community, and family. We talk about his background and path into the MVP program, specifically talking about the importance of mentoring -- both in how it helped him along his journey, but also on its importance as he looks for ways to give back to the community. You can also watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/_tOdlI3T_BM

Episode 109 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Business Applications MVP Mary Thompson, a Dynamics Angels Guru at Cooper Parry specializing in Business Central and the Power Platform, based in Columbia, South Carolina. Recorded in November 2020. In this episode, Mary and I discuss her experiencing working with partners as a functional consultant to help them get set up with the essentials of Dynamics 365 Business Central, and shares some of her experiences in helping organizations and coaching individuals on making the shift to the cloud. You can also watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/gyy0UA1zuSo

Episode 108 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Microsoft Azure MVP Martyn Coupland (@mrcoups), a UK-based Senior Azure Consultant with Ensono, where he focuses on Microsoft Azure deployments and the adoption of DevOps. In this episode, Martyn and I discuss his path to becoming an MVP (he was awarded for the first time this week!) and his career within the IT and engineering operations world. Martyn credits much of his growth and success on his participation in the community, providing a great perspective for those who want to grow in their careers, and possibly strive to become a Microsoft MVP. He shares how his passion for problem-solving and solution-building was the key to his success within the DevOps space. You can also watch this entire interview on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/aTZoHXlx0sE

Episode 8 of this Microsoft employee-focused interview series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Chris Slemp (@cslemp), a former Microsoft MVP who is currently a Customer Success Manager on the Modern Workplace team for Microsoft UK, based in Scotland. Recorded in July 2020. In this episode, Chris and I talk about his history with social collaboration and community management within Microsoft, and how he fell into his dream job as a CSM, moving from Washington State to Scotland. You can watch the entire interview on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/89j5kVqpk_s

Episode 107 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Microsoft Regional Director and Cloud and Datacenter Management MVP Ahmed Nabil Mahmoud (@ITCalls_ANabil), a regional senior information security and risk manager for Standard Chartered Bank, MBA and PMP, and C|CISO advisory board member for EC-Council who is based out of UAE. Recorded in September 2020. In this episode, Ahmed and I discuss his "origin story" for the MVP and RD programs, beginning with his efforts to catalog all of his ideas and thoughts on technology through his blog, and how that expanded and opened up opportunities within information security and digital transformation. On the latter, Ahmed talks about how previously underserved communities are being transformed by technology, and how our collective community efforts play a large part in this growth and prosperity. You can find this entire episode and other MVP and RD interviews on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/3gnQ6hZF6mo

Episode 106 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Microsoft Regional Director and Office Apps & Services MVP Jennifer Mason (@jennifermason), an author and popular speaker, and the VP of Workforce Learning and Transformation at Planet Technologies. Recorded in August 2020. In this episode, Jennifer and I discuss some of the nuances between the MVP and RD programs, as well as the many different technical paths and certifications within the Microsoft ecosystem. Jennifer shares that she is "allergic to anything with syntax and semicolons" and instead focuses on out-of-the-box features that improve personal and organizational productivity and adoption, showing how they can impact and transform a business. We also talk about the shift in the expert community over the years from the heavily dev and IT Pro-focused content 7-10 years ago to more end user and power user-focused scenarios, showing the broader adoption and maturity of Microsoft's collaboration technology, especially in this era of remote working. You can also watch this episode and others on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/CUD_mOBYLW8