The CollabTalk Podcast

Episode 98 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Artificial Intelligence MVP and Microsoft Regional Director Dr. Adnan Masood (@adnanmasood), an AI and Machine Learning researcher, software architect, visiting Scholar at Stanford University, and Data Science teacher at Park University based in Tampa, Florida. Recorded in July 2020. In this episode, Adnan and I discuss Microsoft's expansion of AI capabilities, and some of his favorite projects coming out of Microsoft Research (MSR), including Delve, Cognitive Services, and the Language Models. We also discuss two important AI topics: the management and "curation" of AI-automated solutions such as the forthcoming Project Cortex, and the ethical use and standards around AI. Adnan also shares his thoughts on how far we are from seeing sentient AI (and the inevitable Skynet problem). You can watch this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/ovob4wJ3zMw

Episode 97 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Mario Trentim (@mariotrentim), a PMP-certified project management consultant and evangelist, CEO of TRENTIM Business Solutions and the PMO Global Alliance, as well as an author and professor, based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Recorded in July 2020. In this episode, Mario and I have a great discussion on the evolution of project management technology within the Microsoft ecosystem, and its impact on other enterprise collaboration and information management systems. You can also find this episode on the CollabTalk Podcast on Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/collabtalk/ as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Episode 96 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Sharon Weaver (@sharoneweaver), a newly-minted Microsoft Regional Director, Microsoft Certified Trainer, Six Sigma Black Belt, and Founder and CEO of Smarter Consulting based in the Kansas City, Kansas area. Recorded in June 2020. In this episode, Sharon and I begin with her appointment to the Microsoft Regional Director (RD) program and talk about the differences between the MVP and RD programs. We discuss path into the program, which includes a fairly extensive technical and community resume. Sharon talks about her passion for the Power Platform and collaboration tools (SharePoint, Microsoft Teams), but we also cover wide-ranging topics such as family, the impacts of no-travel due to COVID on her business, her favorite science fiction authors, and how her management style has adjusted to working from home. You can watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/lNHou4aeIu0

Episode 95 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Benjamin Niaulin (@bniaulin), a fellow Office Apps & Services MVP and Microsoft Regional Director, and Head of Product at ShareGate, a leading ISV (independent software vendor) for SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams. Ben was previously the Product Evangelist and public face for ShareGate, and is a frequent speaker at events around the world. Recorded in June 2020. In this episode, Ben and I chat about the ShareGate headquarters in a beautifully-renovated factory in Montreal, and how much the Microsoft ecosystem has evolved and changed for ISVs (independent software vendors) and other partners since the software world has moved to SaaS (software-as-a-service), forcing companies like ShareGate to move faster and think more strategically about customers, competitors, and even new models for monetization. You can watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/RaRx_laX1I0

Episode 94 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Beatriz Oliveira (@beatrizoliveira), an Office Development MVP and fellow Microsoft Regional Director, and the founder and CEO of BindTuning, a leading ISV (independent software vendor) for SharePoint and Microsoft Teams. Beatriz is a serial entrepreneur who co-founded a successful development company (CentralBiz), she currently serves as the President of IAMCP Portugal, and is actively involved in STEM education for youth and an ardent supporter of diversity in technology. Recorded in June 2020. In this episode, Beatriz and I discuss the difficulties in expanding a product company (ISV), her experiences in developing solutions for Microsoft Teams and working with the Power Platform, and how membership in the IAMCP (International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners at iamcp.org) can help tremendously in making connections with partners around the world, helping partners to instantly extend their reach. Beatriz also shares her background in the community, including her passion for diversity and inclusion -- especially about supporting people with disabilities. You can watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/hi0G2qSMgu0

Episode 93 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Dux Raymond Sy (@MeetDux), Chief Marketing Officer for AvePoint, PMP, and also both an Office Apps & Services MVP as well as Microsoft Regional Director, based out of Northern Virginia. Recorded in June 2020. In this episode, Dux and I discuss his background as an engineer that found his way into project management, where he wrote a book and for a long time represented the PM perspective within the SharePoint community. We talk about the evolution of project and task management technology in the modern workplace, before diving into another shared passion: governance. Dux shares the 3 pillars of governance that he discusses with customers, including provisioning, ongoing management (enforcing policies), and information lifecycles (expiration of content, archiving, etc.) You can also watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/JnMvflfNDiI

Episode 92 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Office Apps & Services MVP Ric Bretschneider (@ricbret), a technologist and consultant who spent 17 years on the PowerPoint product team at Microsoft before becoming a PowerPoint MVP himself. Recorded in June 2020. In this episode, Ric and I discuss the history of PowerPoint and some of his favorite new features, including some of the AI and cloud-driven capabilities. He also shares some of his community experiences, including his participation in Pecha Kucha and the Presentation Guild. You can watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/gmzIM7KDHnA

Conversation between Microsoft MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet) and social collaboration expert Noah Sparks (@noahsparks) and Microsoft Sr. Product Manager, Mark Kashman (@mkashman) as part of the Loop365 vlog series. In this discussion, we cover the new Microsoft Lists app, and exclusive to this podcast, delve into some of the go-to-market activities for the Lists app beyond what was shared in the vlog episode. You can watch this entire interview on the CollabTalk YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/sarvOi1wnqI

Episode 7 of this Microsoft employee-focused interview series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Jussie Roine (@JussieRoine), a former Microsoft MVP and Regional Director, now Azure Developer Audience Lead at Microsoft in Helsinki, Finland. Recorded in May 2020. In this episode, Jussi and I discuss his new role at Microsoft, and how much the company has changed since the last time he worked there (2006-2009). We also talk about the differences between regional roles, field and evangelism roles at Microsoft, and the impact of MVPs within the community. You can watch the entire interview on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/NQzbtKW2PYw

Episode 91 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Business Applications MVP Julie Yack (@coloradojules), a trainer, author, community advocate, and COO for Colorado Technology Consultants based in the Colorado Springs, CO area. In this episode, Julie and I discuss some of the evolution of the Dynamics and Business Apps community, and her unconventional path into the tech world. You can also watch this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/bfBeLkjHkrA

Takeaways from the April 2020 #CollabTalk TweetJam on the topic of "Best Practices for Organizing Community Events." Conversation between Microsoft MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet) and Mark Jones (@markqjones), founder of UK-based Collaboris, the Collab365.community, and quarterly GlobalCon events for the Microsoft community. In this discussion, we focus on the 7 questions covered by the tweetjam. You can watch this entire interview on the CollabTalk YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/_ZCXS2BmbNk

Episode 90 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and first-time Artificial Intelligence MVP Veronika Kolesnikova (@breakpointv16), a Developer at Rightpoint in the Boston, MA area. In this episode, Veronika and I talk about her interests in AI, machine-learning, and cognitive services. She shares that while much of this latest technology does not yet apply to her current consulting work, it is quickly coming to the forefront within the enterprise, and will soon become a necessary component of internal IT efforts. You can watch this entire interview on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/KaWI1_bCXKg

Episode 89 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and 12-time Business Applications MVP Joel Lindstrom (@JoelLindstrom), a Principal Architect for Power Platform at Hitachi Solutions, Microsoft Certified Trainer, and podcaster based in Greer, South Carolina. Joel is the creator and editor of CRM Audio, the leading Dynamics CRM podcast (crm.audio), is an editor and frequent contributor to the Hitachi Solutions blog at http://us.hitachi-solutions.com/blog/ and is the co-creator of the CRM Tip of the Day blog which you can find at www.crmtipoftheday.com. Recorded in April 2020. In this episode, Joel and I talk about the beginnings of the Dynamics CRM platform, and its role in the Business Applications and Power Platform ecosystem. As a 12-time MVP, Joel has been there from the beginning, and is one of the leading community voices on CRM as well as the Common Data Service, which is Microsoft's premier data repository for the Power Platform. We talk about the evolution of the Dynamics space, growth of the Business Applications category, and some of our observations from the MVP community. You can watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/ynwsyJ_S1qE

Episode 88 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and fellow Microsoft Regional Director and Developer Technologies MVP Rockford Lhotka (@RockyLhotka), an open-source architect and Chief Technology Officer at Magenic, based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Rocky is a 16-time MVP, the author of numerous books, he regularly speaks at major conferences around the world, and is the creator of the widely used open source CSLA .NET development framework. Recorded in April 2020. In this episode, Rocky and I cover a few topics, starting off with his background with Magenic and the creation of CSLA (Component-based Scalable Logical Architecture), a software framework that provides a standard way to create robust object-oriented programs using business objects (you can find it on GitHub). He shares some detail on his current speaking topics, which turns into a discussion of the state of modern software development, with portable code on the server and portable code in the browser, and a great discussion of the need for personnel in the DevOps space. In fact, we talk about the path toward DevOps, and share some ideas about where students can/should focus to move into the DevOps field...but ultimately agree that the path requires people to have experience in at least two or three areas within the software development process (development, QA, security, release management, operations, etc). We wrap up the conversation on the topic of job vs career, and the importance of understanding your own strengths and weaknesses, and carving out a career path that plays to your strengths. You can watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/uad-7ZdIZiU

Episode 87 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Developer Technologies MVP Dr. Sarah Kaiser (@crazy4pi314), a Research Engineer at Pensar Development based in Seattle, WA. Sarah was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Macquarie University, and received her PhD from the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario. She is a physics experimentalist who specializes in building and breaking opto-electronic systems. In this episode, Dr. Kaiser and I talk about the growth of quantum computing and Q#, initially discussing Microsoft's Quantum Development Kit and the state of quantum computing, both from a scientific and commercial perspective. I don't know much about the space at all, and she was kind enough to walk me through some of the basics of what is happening within the industry, and Microsoft's investments. We also discussed personnel needs within quantum computing, and how the industry needs people from a variety of backgrounds -- not just computer science -- and especially people with expertise in data analysis and visualization. You can watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/kIgDkCzusZg

For Episode 86 of the #MVPbuzzChat series, I connected with Cloud and Datacenter Management MVP Mike Nelson (@mikenelsonIO), a Solution Architect at Pure Storage based in Northern Wisconsin. Mike has been involved in IT for more than three decades in various management, architecture, engineering, and consulting roles. In addition to his Microsoft MVP, Mike is a Microsoft Azure Advisor, Citrix Technology Advocate (CTA), and VMware vExpert. He currently leads several user groups, including a Cloud user group and a VMware User Group (VMUG). Recorded in April 2020. In this episode, Mike and I talk about his focus as an MVP originally in Hyper-V, on-premises and hybrid datacenter solutions, and more recently Azure Edge -- which is a huge piece of Microsoft's cloud strategy. Mike has a great perspective on the growth of Azure and how organizations are transitioning to the cloud, and shares some insights into questions he hears from customers and how he advises them to move forward. You can watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/FogxoJZhGdw

Episode 85 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Developer Technologies MVP Kevin Bost (@kitokeboo), a Software Developer at IntelliTect based in Spokane, Washington. Kevin is a C# and XAML enthusiast (WPF, Xamarin.Forms, UWP), a Xamarin Certified Mobile Developer, and author of AutoDI, a library to make dependency injection simpler, as well as ShowMeTheXAML, a WPF component that makes it easy to show the corresponding XAML for WPF custom styles and controls. Recorded in April 2020. In this episode, Kevin and I talk about his history in the DevOps space working with C# and WPF, some of his contributions to the open source community, and a few of the topics he covers in his Twitch live streaming shows on C#, WPF, and Material Design in Xaml. You can also watch this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/OGCr3Gyk8jY

Episode 84 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Developer Technologies MVP Jim Wilcox (@GraniteStHacker), an Architect II with Insight Digital Innovation in the Boston area, and an organizer for both the Granite State Windows Platform App Devs Users Group, and the Granite State (NH) SharePoint Users Group. In this episode, Jim and I talk about his long history within the Microsoft community and more recent adjustments to his activities due to COVID-19 quarantine. We also discuss some of the updates happening in the .Net space, including bringing .Net and .Net Core back together again for the new .Net 5 (sans "Core" or "Framework" monikers), which just went into preview last month. You can also watch this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/cJIwRzm5-88

Discussion with Tracy Van der Schyff (@tracyvds), Office Apps & Services MVP and principal at The Guid Stuff in Johannesburg, South Africa, hosted by CollabTalk Founder & CEO Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), on our takeaways from the March 2020 #CollabTalk TweetJam on the topic of "Developing a Strategy for Digital Literacy," reviewing and sharing our thoughts on the 7 questions covered by members of the community during the 1-hour tweetjam.

Episode 83 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and fellow Office Apps & Services MVP Oliver Wirkus (@OWirkus), and a Senior Consultant at DevFactowho is based in British Columbia, Canada. In this episode, Oliver and I talk about his extensive experience in the SharePoint migration space, and the questions and overall themes he sees with clients. We also discuss the role of migration planning in the broader SharePoint and Office 365 governance space. You can also find this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/LDM-ubaLLTA

Episode 82 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Office Development MVP Sébastien Levert (@sebastienlevert), another familiar face from the SharePoint community, developer, and product lead at Valo in Montreal. Recorded in February 2020. In this episode, Sébastien and I talk about the continued success of the intranet-in-a-box category within the SharePoint and Microsoft 365 community, but also jump into some of his favorite presentation topics, such as building out bots and other automation solutions. You can also find this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/dcE5xJNrTLA

Episode 81 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and fellow Office Apps & Services MVP Adnan Amin (@adnan_amin), a long-time SharePoint and .Net developer, former MCT Regional Lead, and Senior Microsoft Consultant at PCM who is based in Lahore, Pakistan. Recorded in February 2020. In this episode, Adnan and I begin by talking about some of his community event efforts, helping to organize local bootcamps and technical events, followed by a great discussion on working with customers on out-of-the-boz versus custom solutions, and how this shift in focus is changing the consulting business around the world. You can also watch this video on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/rrMa6b1Xjpg

Discussion with Mike Fitzmaurice (@mikefitz), Chief Evangelist and VP of North America for WEBCON (https://webcon.com/), and one of the leading voices in the world on the topic of business process automation and workflow, hosted by CollabTalk Founder & CEO Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), on the evolution of workflow and business process solutions within Microsoft's various workloads and across the partner ecosystem, including a primer on what makes WEBCON different from the competition. We also discuss the topics of change management and the rise of "citizen developers," and his preference for the term "citizen-assisted development."

Episode 80 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and fellow Office Apps & Services MVP Dan Usher (@binarybrewery), Chief Technologist (Senior Associate) at Booz Allen Hamilton where he is a lead Cloud and Collaboration Technologies Architect and Solutions Manager. Dan is also one of the lead organizers of SharePoint Saturday DC, and co-founded the Reston SharePoint User Group. Recorded in January 2020. In this episode, Dan and I talk about some of SharePoint's history (both the product and the community), and specifically the continued need for on-premises and hybrid SharePoint solutions within many organizations. You can also watch the entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/aKfqqEmlrCE

Episode 79 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and fellow Office Apps & Services MVP Rob Windsor (@robwindsor), a long-time SharePoint and .Net developer, author, trainer, and presenter. Rob is a Lead Consultant at PAIT Group and Chief Imagineer at extaCloud, and is based outside of Toronto in Mississauga, Canada. Recorded in January 2020. In this episode, Rob and I start off by talking about the streaming technology he is using for his online training (Twitch), but evolves into a discussion on compliance and governance surrounding external collaboration. You can also watch the entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/wPOyEleRssM

Episode 78 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Business Applications MVP, Todd Baginski (@toddbaginski), Partner and CTO of Canviz, and based in Loveland, Ohio. Recorded in January 2020. In this episode, Todd and I talk about his move from SharePoint into the Business Applications space (he's been an MVP in both), and some of the exciting things coming out of the Power Platform community (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI). You can also watch this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/5tJTA1Dzo2c

Episode 6 of this Microsoft employee-focused interview series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Jon Levesque (@JonJLevesque), a Sr. Platform Evangelist on the Power Automate (formerly known as Flow) team at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington. Recorded in January 2020. In this episode, Jon and I discuss the frenzied growth of the Power Platform, and specifically of Power Automate. You can also watch this interview on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/E-hI1xWeJgA

Episode 77 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and fellow Office Apps & Services MVP, Tom Daly (@_tomdaly_), an Office 365 and SharePoint developer and consultant for SoHo Dragon in New York City. Recorded in January 2020. In this episode, Tom and I discuss his role in supporting community events in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and the evolution of SharePoint Saturday and other Microsoft-ecosystem conferences and events. You can also watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/9daI6NFegRM

Episode 76 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and fellow Office Apps & Services MVP, Julie Turner (@jfj1997), a partner at Sympraxis Consulting LLC. Recorded in January 2020. In this episode, Julie shares some of what she has been working on for Microsoft 365 Learning Pathways, providing partners and customers with an open source solution for consuming on-demand content and training materials. You can also watch this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/4GTD_wGE_OA

Discussion with Sam Marshall (@sammarshall), owner and lead consultant at ClearBox Consulting (https://www.clearbox.co.uk/), and creator of the SharePoint intranets-in-a-box report, hosted by CollabTalk Founder & CEO Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), on the state of the intranets category, the continued growth in the number of vendors with intranet solutions, and the sustained growth of SharePoint.

Episode 5 of this Microsoft employee-focused interview series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Chris Bortlik (@cbortlik), a Principal Technical Architect at the Microsoft Technology Center in Boston, and a long-time external community leader in the SharePoint, Office 365, and Power Platform spaces. Recorded in January 2020. In this episode, Chris and I discuss his role, and the just what goes on behind closed doors at the 15 Microsoft Technology Centers in the US, and many more around the world, including hosting a number of community events, such as SharePoint Saturday and the forthcoming Teams Thursday Boston, which Chris is helping to organize. You can also watch this interview in its entirety on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/efZUbOwKZLM

Episode 75 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and fellow Office Apps & Services MVP, Sue Hanley (@susanhanley), business analyst and information architecture consultant, governance and IA expert, and principal of Susan Hanley LLC, based in Bethesda, Maryland. In this episode, Sue and I talk about the state of governance and information architecture within the modern organization -- specifically looking at organizations that are rapidly adopting Microsoft Teams. We also talk about the transition from focusing largely on SharePoint to the expanded M365 platform, and whether organizations have learned from the governance and change management mistakes of the past. You can also watch this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/BTo3QwEqrQY

Episode 74 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and fellow Office Apps & Services MVP, Paul Stork (@pstork), principal of Don't Pa..Panic Consulting based in Cleveland, Ohio. Recorded in December 2019. In this episode, Paul and I discuss the evolution of his subject-matter expertise in the community from SharePoint to PowerApps and Automate, and the changes he sees in customer requirements around SharePoint and Office 365. You can also watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/I5f0WpZyEMk

Episode 73 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and fellow Office Apps & Services MVP, Loryan Strant (@loryanstrant), an independent consultant and long-time SharePoint, Office 365, and Microsoft Teams author and speaker. Recorded in December 2019. In this episode, Loryan and I dig into the meaty topic of Governance, and talk about some of the learnings from our SharePoint backgrounds and how they apply in a Microsoft Teams world, and he shares some stories about where he sees organizations still failing to learn from the past. You can also watch this episode in its entirety on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/OWAKiBEWIvI

Episode 72 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Business Applications MVP, Sandy Ussia (@sandyu), long-time SharePoint and Office 365 speaker, and the Technical Evangelist for Lightning Tools. Recorded in December 2019. In this episode, Sandy and I discuss her participation in the SharePoint and Power Automate (Flow) communities, her global wanderings, and her advice for people who want to get started in the Power Automate community but don't know where to begin. You can also watch this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/LLZuGfrtV0I

Discussion with fellow MVPs Tracy Van der Schyff (@tracyvds), Principal at The GUID Stuff, Eric Riz (@rizinsights), Founder & CEO of Empty Cubicle, and Bruno Capuano (@elbruno), Innovation Lead at Avanade, discussing the idea that a strong / healthy culture can have a positive impact on innovation, and actually increase and improve employee output. Hosted by CollabTalk Founder & CEO Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), and recorded in November 2019 from Microsoft Ignite (#MSIgnite) Podcast Center.

Discussion with Eric Harlan (@ericharlan), Microsoft PFE, Susan Lennon (@susanlennon), former Principal Consultant (retired) at Microsoft, and Andy Huneycutt (@andyhuneycutt), a Senior IT Trainer at Fortis College. Eric and Susan are two of the founders of the global SharePoint Saturday organization (SPSevents.org) and huge supporters of community-driven events and user groups, and like me, Andy is a SPS organizer and user group board member. This recording was following an "unconference" breakout at Microsoft Ignite on the topic of community building. Hosted by CollabTalk Founder & CEO Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), and recorded in November 2019 from Microsoft Ignite (#MSIgnite) Podcast Center.

Discussion with Greg McMurray (@goyuix), a senior software engineer and the president of three (yes 3!) Utah-based user groups (SharePoint, Dynamics, and PowerApps), on the creation of the Microsoft User Group Utah (MUGUT) organization as a way to cross-promote Microsoft events and UG activities across the community. Hosted by CollabTalk Founder & CEO Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), and recorded in November 2019 from Microsoft Ignite (#MSIgnite) Podcast Center.

Discussion with Alistair Pugin (@alistairpugin), Martina Grom (@magrom), Stephanie Donahue (@stephkdonahue), and Treb Gatte (@tgatte) on what it takes to become a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) or RD (Regional Director). Hosted by CollabTalk Founder & CEO Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), and recorded in November 2019 from Microsoft Ignite (#MSIgnite) Podcast Center.

Episode 71 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and fellow Office Apps & Services MVP, consultant, and podcaster Michael Greth (@mysharepoint). Recorded in October 2019. In this episode, Michael and I start off talking about the convergence of tools and features within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, expand into Microsoft Stream and Yammer, and then also discuss video and streaming hardware, and what organizations should consider purchasing to build out corporate content. You can watch the entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/2_482d9E_NY

Episode 70 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Stacy Deere-Strole (@sldeere), founder of Focal Point Solutions and a fellow Office Apps & Services MVP. Recorded in October 2019. In this episode, Stacy and I discuss her efforts to constantly learn by "getting out of her comfort zone" and how that translates into new opportunities with clients, and can help people learn and grow within their own roles. You can also find this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube site at https://youtu.be/xzrd1JIHsoM

Episode 69 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and "the" Marc Anderson (@sympmarc), a fellow Office Apps & Services MVP, the founder of Sympraxis Consulting based in the Boston area, and, rumor has it, a card-holding Elder of the Internet. In this episode, Marc and I talk about his path into collaboration, back when rubbing two sticks together constituted "knowledge management" and then he found his way into SharePoint. We also get into the topic of search, and the concept of Microsoft Teams as the "hub" for teamwork and what that really means. You can also find this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/f82uMufwgNI

Episode 68 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Paul Keijzers (@KBworks), a fellow Office Apps & Services MVP, and a Netherlands-based consultant focusing on SharePoint and Microsoft Teams deployments, adoption and strategy. Recorded in September 2019. In this episode, Paul and I talk about some of the issues that can impact collaboration adoption, and share our thoughts on what can make a Microsoft Teams deployment successful. You can also find this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube site at https://youtu.be/wqcaB6Zjl1Q

Episode 67 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Rene Modery (@modery), a SharePoint, Office 365, and Azure consultant based in Singapore, as well as an Office Apps & Services MVP. Recorded in September 2019. In this episode, Rene and I discuss his involvement in his local user group, and the struggle to keep up with rapidly changing technology from a more technologically remote part of the world. You can also find this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/9J3825lp66s

Episode 66 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Vlad Catrinescu (@vladcatrinescu), a SharePoint and Office 365 consultant, author, trainer, blogger, and Office Apps & Services MVP. Recorded in September 2019. In this episode, Vlad and I covered solid ground, discussing some of his background and current technology passion (around automation). We then talked about his blog (https://absolute-sharepoint.com) and the value of education and certifications, which somehow led into a discussion of the "benefits" of Shadow IT and how it can sometimes act as an innovation-driver within the enterprise. You can watch this entire episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/-GiNp2KQAfM

Episode 65 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Mark Rackley (@mrackley), principal at PAIT Group, developer, podcaster, and Office Apps & Services MVP based in Harrison, Arkansas. Recorded in September 2019. In this episode, Mark and I talk about his career track within the SharePoint community, his increasing focus on AI and automation, and some of the common patterns he sees within client engagements. You can watch this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/Yx8hBwzYg5c

Discussion with Ruven Gotz (@ruveng), Director and Workplace eXperience Lead - US West for Avanade, hosted by CollabTalk Founder & CEO Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), on the topic of the evolution of how organizations are approaching adoption and engagement of technology, and specifically collaboration technology (Office 365, SharePoint, etc).

Episode 64 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Treb Gatte (@tgatte), CEO of Marquee Insights and a Data Platform MVP based in Seattle, Washington. In this episode, Treb and I discuss our similar pathways from project and program management platforms (he used to be a Project MVP) to collaboration (SharePoint), and how his work has shifted almost entirely to data-related topics, including dashboards, reporting, business intelligence, AI and machine learning.

Episode 63 of the #MVPbuzzChat series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and John White (@diverdown1964), CTO of tyGraph and UnlimitedViz based in Canada, and dual MVP in both Office Apps & Services and Data Platform. Recorded in August 2019. In this episode, John and I discuss the democratization of data analysis and business intelligence through Power BI, and how the conversation around data has evolved within the enterprise over the past two decades from our days building data warehouses to our current crop of incredibly powerful cloud-based analytics and insights tools. You can also watch this episode on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/CUsaTfaNgtA

Episode 4 of this Microsoft employee-focused interview series. Conversation between Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), Founder & CEO of CollabTalk LLC, and Mark Kashman (@mkashman), a Senior Product Manager on the Microsoft 365 team focused on SharePoint and OneDrive. Recorded in August 2019. In this episode, Mark and I discuss his career pathway onto the SharePoint team, and his role expansion into OneDrive and, more recently, picking up many of the admin, hybrid, and migration components left in the wake of the most recent organizational shifts. He also shares some stories from the very successful and growing podcast, The Intrazone (https://aka.ms/theintrazone), which he co-hosts with Chris McNulty at least 3 times per month. You can also watch the interview on the CollabTalk YouTube page at https://youtu.be/3oHsej_WU9M