

Microsoft Innovation Podcast
Mark Smith [nz365guy]
If you want to get your ideas or questions featured on an episode, please leave us a voicemail: https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/voicemail/Dive into the future of work with the "Microsoft Innovation Podcast," exploring the intersection of People, Business, Technology, and AI. Engage with expert guests—including thought leaders from Microsoft, industry innovators, and community specialists—who are redefining the world with advancements in AI, Cloud technologies, the Power Platform, Dynamics 365, and beyond.Every episode delivers a blend of in-depth discussions, practical insights, and actionable strategies tailored for professionals driving enablement and innovation. Join us across our five shows:The Power Platform ShowThe MVP ShowThe Copilot ShowThe Ecosystems ShowThe AI Advantage (coming soon)
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 25, 2019 • 44min
Evolving Business Models for the Microsoft Partner with Anton Sjöstedt and Johan Adenmark
FULL SHOW NOTEShttps://podcast.nz365guy.com/150A brief introduction about Johan and Anton’s life – where they live and what they do when not working How they met and how they start working with the NAB company Shares their thoughts about hiring a new generation of salespeople How the traditional way of selling is presented Advantage of hiring the new generation – & young salespeople Interesting techniques that Partners are still using at present What is unique about their business model How they put their price upfront considering their customer’s different project requirements Talks about the services and monthly subscription they offered to Kathrine Hogseth of CRM-Konsulterna How they see their business evolving and changes they see in the next twelve months Talks about the type of model they are using for their Business Central AppSource The kind of support they offer their customer doing the trial in their environment Strategies in dealing with the 24-7 business model and clients in different time zones How they mark their business now, and their marketing method or methodology in Sweden Talks about the re-seller model and how they come up with this idea How they attract top talents to their business Importance of creating a culture and loyalty to keep them in business How they determine Career Advancement The company’s engagement level in the Dynamics Business Central Community and their opinion The type of relationship they have with Microsoft and how they maintain a good relationship with MicrosoftMicrosoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Nov 20, 2019 • 27min
Ivan Ficko on The MVP Show
FULL SHOW NOTEShttps://podcast.nz365guy.com/149A brief introduction about Ivan’s life – where he lives and what is so famous about his city What he does for entertainment when he is not working on Microsoft technologies Talks about his great passion An introduction to his streaming set-up Shares his thoughts about being an MVP for two months Who nominated him to become an MVP? Ivan’s role and his focus The company he is working for How he got involved and when did he start hearing about the community Shares what idea he has about his Blog post Discusses his involvement with PCF and the top three limitations he has come across the PCF Talks about his interest in virtual entities Benefits he got from becoming an MVP What he recommends to people who wanted to become part of the MVP Program Ivan’s future speaking engagement/Events: Scottish SummitLive StreamingOBS StudioRestream.ioDJ Profile Twitch Crew channelMixcloudMicrosoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Nov 18, 2019 • 1h 1min
ISV Partner and Microsoft with Ewan Dalton
FULL SHOW NOTEShttps://podcast.nz365guy.com/148Ewan Dalton’s brief introduction about his life – lives in the UK, originally from Scotland Describes his hometown and the city he lives in What he does when he’s not working Talks about Ewan’s VintageWatchAdvisor Difference between the consumption model/AZURE and the monthly license in the model for Office 365 and the Power Platform Discusses his journey within Microsoft, his current role and what’s involved Shares his thoughts on things ISV should do to become successful Ewan’s recommendations for ISVs when it comes to building relationships with a Microsoft seller The building blocks to becoming a successful ISV Discussion on ISV's as a separate entity Introduction to ISV Connect Program and how people get involved with it Explains what and how co-selling works Difference between the customer community and partners community Discusses the opportunities available to both customer community and partners community Ewan’s advice to ISV's looking to partner with Microsoft Talks about the benefits from the new Microsoft Business Applications ISV Connect Program to make Microsoft partnerships even more valuable SI's transition to ISV business RESOURCESEwan's VintageWatchAdvisor siteISV Business Application Connect ProgramMicrosoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Nov 13, 2019 • 35min
Christopher Cognetta on The MVP Show
FULL SHOW NOTEShttps://podcast.nz365guy.com/147Discusses the company he works for and what project he's working on at present Christopher's journey to becoming an MVP eight years ago Points out reasons why people decide to look for another company or job The best job he's ever had in his life Shares his thoughts about creating a culture in business and working environment The biggest benefits he has received being an MVP Advice to people who want to be an MVP Discussions the things he has learnt when he started blogging What goal a candidate should have when considering becoming an MVP Why he's worried about the next generation How can you tell when you feel it's not a job anymoreTalks about his dream job if money didn't matter Enumerated the five elements the management/leadership has done creating an amazing environment Importance of the word “LISTENING” in business and a working environment How to encourage people and be involved in taking training to get the certification they need to help them grow, the company and the environment Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Nov 11, 2019 • 44min
Business Leadership in Power Platform Consulting with Kathrine Hogseth
FULL SHOW NOTEShttps://podcast.nz365guy.com/146Kathrine’s brief introduction about her life – born in Norway, lives in Stockholm, Sweden with her family for 29 years Talks about what her family loves to do together Introduces the best destination to visit in Sweden and Norway A short introduction about the history of their company – CRM-KonsulternaDiscusses the type of business they have and what their typical customer looks like Describes her current role, what’s involved and the things that excite her the most in her daily activities The kind of culture their company creates Discusses sourcing talents and how they attract and retain top talents Their motivation on how they encourage their employees to continue developing their skill level How they value their customers Explains how they manage their employees – especially those who are sent out to offsite clients How do they determine career advancementWays to discover and attract new customers What works well when it comes to marketing What opportunities they are exploring in the future in relation to their business model As part of individual growth – how meaningful is community engagement in their business Enumerates what lessons she has learned from running an event What Kathrine’s typical monthly calendar typically looks like from a work perspective A book about Naked Consulting – what it means to their company and staff Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Nov 6, 2019 • 30min
Vivek Bavishi on The MVP Show
FULL SHOW NOTEShttps://podcast.nz365guy.com/145Vivek Bavishi's background – originally from India, discusses things you can do in India, good food in India and the reason why he moved to the US Talks about the Marketing program course Shares his thoughts about the MVP ProgramDiscusses the company he works for – Regal Beloit What he does as a Marketing Manager As the new model of MVP – the generation of people who just wants to get things doneBavishi's journey and how he managed to become part of the MVP ProgramWhere That_API_Guy name came from? Shares his views about being a consultant within his own company How he started working with PowerApps Discusses his contribution to the communityTalks about the changes that happened after becoming an MVP Power Platform and focus in his current roleMicrosoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Nov 4, 2019 • 53min
Microsoft Catalyst with Daniel Hunter Jeff Hall and Rob Nehrbas
FULL SHOW NOTEShttps://podcast.nz365guy.com/144A brief introduction about Daniel, Jeff and Rob’s personal & family background. Where they live & how they spend their time when not working. Discussions about their journey to Microsoft Introduction to the Catalyst program Discusses the history of Microsoft Catalyst and Methodology Importance of Modern Business Engagement Relationship between Design Thinking, Business Decision Maker and Microsoft Catalyst – taking requirements from the customer. The impact of Catalyst on business Discusses the four pillars of Microsoft Catalyst – Inspire, Design, empower and Achieve Understanding its importance with Partners in modern business engagement Talks about the resources used in the methodology The type of search things they need to better understand the building blocks around customer journey mapping, empathy mapping, and wireframe Is Catalyst part of the business? Understanding the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation The importance of embracing these technologies for functional consultants and the impact on their business What are the specific sets of steps the Catalyst programs provide? RESOURCESBill and Melinda Gates foundation Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Oct 30, 2019 • 30min
Shawn Tabor on The MVP Show
FULL SHOW NOTEShttps://podcast.nz365guy.com/143A brief introduction on Shawn’s – growing up and living in Florida for the last 30 years & being born outside of Chicago. Shaun talks about his education Shawn’s day working in the Power Platform Dynamics Arena Shawn's focus on field service and customer service Shawn’s thoughts on getting PowerApps for Field service Is the product set big enough to just chose one thing? Shawn’s recommendation on choosing the right product. What he loves to do the most. Field service and customers service or Sales? Discusses IoT Practical integration to Field service How to tell if preventive maintenance is needed Being an MVP for 3 years – and how his journey started 8 years ago CRM Lady – Anne Stanton Talks about his passion for doing Podcasts Events Shawn's attended – Orlando summit, Ignite broadcasting service and 20mins on PowerApps and field service Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Oct 28, 2019 • 48min
The Origin Story of Dynamics 365 CE with Aaron Elder
FULL SHOW NOTEShttps://podcast.nz365guy.com/142A brief introduction about Aaron’s personal background –originally from Maryland and lives in Seattle, WA What Aaron does when he’s not working – play with kids, skiing and travelling The Founder of icommunicate – history and origin Co-founder of Invoke system and Crelate (from creating relationship) Key highlights of his 3 years working at Microsoft Talks about the feature set in CRM 1.0 in 2003 The reason why 1.2 was released the same year Shares Aaron's thoughts about Salesforce while building a product Lessons learnt from working with a big company – Microsoft Discusses the true story of CRM 2.0 Shares Aaron's thoughts about being involved in a powerful product line at Microsoft and one of the core pillars of the business. Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Oct 23, 2019 • 26min
Sergio Macias on The MVP Show
FULL SHOW NOTEShttps://podcast.nz365guy.com/141Sergio's personal life – lives in Monterey, Mexico and shares his views on the three most important cities and popular food in Mexico. Discusses how popular Microsoft PowerApps and Flow, Power Platform, Dynamics 365 are in Mexico The first Dynamics 365 CRM MVP in Mexico Sergio’s journey to becoming an MVP – 2 years as an MVP Discusses the three significant events that happened for Dynamics 365 in 2019 – D365 Saturday – Mexico City, Mexico in April, Dynamics 365 Saturday – Monterrey, Mexico in May and D365 Saturday – Guadalajara, Mexico June Sergio’s objective and goals when it comes to Dynamics 365 events How successful is the Dynamics 365 event? Are Microsoft Partners in Mexico doing Dynamics 365? How he discovered the MVP Program and talks about the person who guided him to become an MVP Discusses his contributions to the Dynamics 365 community What project he is working on at present, his focus & and his current teamWho does he see in the Spanish community as a future MVP Who inspires him to be betterThe mistake he kept doing over and over again? Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith


