Microsoft Innovation Podcast

• From Theatre to Tech: Building AI Mindsets That Stick

  Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM Tanja Wiehoff shares her journey from musical theatre to Microsoft 365 consulting, revealing how she helps organisations adopt Copilot and build an AI-first mindset. She outlines practical strategies for executive training, change management, and fostering AI fluency across teams. 👉 Full Show notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/759 🎙️ What you’ll learn How to guide organisations through Copilot adoption Ways to build an AI mindset across different roles Why executive buy-in is critical for AI success How to run effective Copilot workshops and labs What makes AI fun and engaging for everyday users  ✅ Highlights “You have to build up an AI mindset with all the employees.” “Executives have to be a role model when it comes to AI usage.” “It doesn’t make any sense to train them and then leave them alone.” “Copilot isn’t always faster—it’s better quality and more creative.” “We enable users before they even get a Copilot licence.” “It’s not always about ROI—sometimes it’s just better work.” “I use Copilot nearly every hour.” “You need ongoing training and a knowledge platform.” “Fun use cases matter—even if they don’t save money.” “There’s no blueprint—it depends on company culture.” “Executive sessions must be fast-paced and interactive.” “The service agent even suggests when to publish the survey.” 🧰 Mentioned     Microsoft 365: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365 Copilot: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot Viva Connections: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-viva/connections Viva Engage: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-viva/engage SharePoint Online: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/collaboration GPT-5 (OpenAI): https://openai.com/gpt-5 Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 ✅ Keywords copilot, ai mindset, microsoft 365, executive training, change management, viva engage, sharepoint online, gpt-5, intranet, service agent, adoption strategy, business transformationSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

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• Transparency First: Make AI Worthy of Trust

  👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/758Hosts: Mark Smith, Meg SmithEthical AI starts with transparency, accountability, and clear values. Mark and Meg unpack responsible AI principles, why non-deterministic systems still need reliability, and how ‘human in the loop’ and logging keep people accountable. They share a simple way to judge tools: trust, data use, terms that change, and clarity on training. You’ll see how to set personal and organisational boundaries, choose vendors, and schedule reviews as risks evolve. They also consider a public call to pause superintelligence, and argue for critical thinking over fear.Join the private WhatsApp group for Q&A and community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/E0iyXcUVhpl9um7DuKLYEz🎙️ What you’ll learn- Build an ethics checklist around transparency, fairness, reliability, privacy, inclusiveness, and accountability.- Evaluate tools for training stance, data use, privacy, and changing terms.- Design human-in-the-loop workflows with unique credentials, logging, and audit trails.- Set personal and organisational boundaries for acceptable AI use.- Plan a review cadence to reassess risks, mitigations, and vendor changes.✅Highlights“we're going to be squarely in the land of robotics very soon.”“the intelligence age is so much more than just AI it is the age of intelligence”“if you're an unethical individual, AI is probably going to amplify it.”“there is no ethical AI without transparency.”“people should be accountable for AI systems.”🧰MentionedMicrosoft Responsible AI principles https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/principles-and-approach#ai-principlesIBM AI course https://www.ibm.com/training/learning-pathsTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@nz365guyRoomba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RoombaZoom TOS https://termly.io/resources/zoom-terms-of-service-controversy/Connect with the hostsMark Smith:  Blog https://www.nz365guy.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nz365guy Meg Smith:  Blog https://www.megsmith.nz LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/megsmithnzSubscribe, rate, and share with someone who wants to be future ready. Drop your questions in the comments or the WhatsApp group, and we may feature them in an upcoming episode.✅Keywords: responsible ai, ethical decision-making, transparency, accountability, fairness, privacy and security, non-deterministic, human in the loop, audit trail, intra id, superintelligence, terms 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

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• From Excel to AI: Automating at Enterprise Scale

  Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/757 Discover how automation and AI are reshaping enterprise operations through the Microsoft Power Platform. Joe Leo shares real-world use cases, lessons from scaling automation across 10,000+ users, and insights into integrating RPA, Power BI, and AI for smarter business processes. 🎙️ What you’ll learn     Build scalable automation using Power Platform tools Replace manual checklists with real-time digital workflows Use canvas apps to improve data quality and reduce maintenance Integrate RPA with model-driven apps for centralised control Navigate career shifts and personal branding in a competitive tech market ✅ Highlights   “Macros were the way to automate work before Power Platform.” “We had over 10,000 licenses… scaling to 100,000 users.” “Cleaning logs on a clipboard became a canvas app with photo uploads.” “200 Excel files emailed weekly—now replaced by a single app.” “We deployed to 1,000 users in two weeks during COVID.” “We created a model-driven app as a control station for automation.” “Instead of inbox triggers, we used canvas apps to cleanse data.” “Maintenance is the hidden cost—bots went offline mid-process.” “Power apps are agile—changes deployed during a single call.” “LinkedIn job posts get 100+ applicants in 15 minutes.” “You’ve got to articulate your brand in a few minutes.” “You can’t just build, deploy and forget—maintenance is ongoing.” 🧰 Mentioned   Microsoft Power Platform - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform UI Path - https://www.uipath.com/  Excel Macros - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/quick-start-create-a-macro-741130ca-080d-49f5-9471-1e5fb3d581a8  Canvas Apps - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/maker/canvas-apps/  ✅ Keywords   automation, power platform, canvas apps, model-driven apps, power automate, rpa, ai integration, business process, power bi, data quality, career branding, enterprise tech 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

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• Why Most B2B Data Is Useless and What To Do Instead

  👉 Full Show Noteshttps://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/756 AI is transforming how businesses use data, but most are still stuck with outdated models. In this episode, Brian Perks shares how to unlock high-impact insights by shifting from fragmented data to identity-driven ecosystems. Learn how to optimise your ideal customer profile, reduce waste, and build scalable, AI-powered sales strategies. 🎙️ What you’ll learn How to eliminate low-value data and focus on high-conversion targets Why identity-based data is critical for fraud prevention and sales activation How to optimise your ICP for repeatable, scalable growth What LinkedIn advertising gets wrong—and how to fix it How startups can access enterprise-grade data tools ✅ Highlights “We are making the data available to the platform in its entirety.” “You only want the sales, the marketers, the people that are going to buy your products.” “Companies using 5x5 data have customers that essentially stay forever.” “AI cannot spontaneously generate your email address or mobile number.” “We act as the barometer to let you into the room and see the digital universe.” “LinkedIn has been your professional resume. It is not Facebook for business.” “Most companies don’t run the kind of analytic to understand their soft costs.” “IP-based ABM marketing hits every device on that IP—you’re paying for all of them.” “Small companies no longer have to be in the data business first to build data-enabled products.” “AI models still depend on human journalistic research.” “Publishers are getting scraped 1000 times per visitor under fair use.” “We’re going to need AI shepherds to verify and validate output.” 🧰 Mentioned LinkedIn Sales Navigator: https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/sales-navigator CloudFlare - https://www.cloudflare.com  Claude - https://claude.ai Xandr (Microsoft Advertising): https://www.xandr.com ✅Keywords ai sales, identity data, fraud prevention, data licensing, linkedin advertising, b2b marketing, ideal customer profile, sales activation, publishing models, audience extension, data utility, generative ai 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

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• Why Loop Is Changing the Way We Collaborate

  Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM Amanda Sterner shares practical insights on how Microsoft Loop and Copilot are reshaping collaboration, productivity, and digital adoption. From overcoming tool resistance to driving change through Champions programs, this episode offers actionable strategies for tech professionals navigating modern workplace transformation. 👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/755   🎙️ What you’ll learn How Loop enhances personal and collaborative workflows Ways Copilot unlocks value in underused Microsoft 365 apps Why fast, iterative cloud innovation beats slow release cycles How to build effective Champions programs for tech adoption What blocks Copilot adoption—and how to overcome it  ✅ Highlights “Loop came. It looks beautiful. I was hooked immediately.” “I want to be able to use it when I don’t have Wi-Fi.” “Copilot can help us in apps we’re not used to working with.” “I hate Excel. But now I’m a very average user of Excel.” “Copilot fixes it for me, or at least points me in a direction.” “Copilot makes so ugly things.” “Champions is the most flexible, price-worthy way of driving change.” “You don’t need lurkers. You need people who want to be champions.” “Change doesn’t magically happen by itself.” “It’s not just saving your files in the cloud—it’s how you work.” “If people don’t want to put the time on it, remove their licence.” 🧰 Mentioned    Microsoft Loop - Microsoft Loop: Collaborative App | Microsoft 365 Microsoft Copilot - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot  Microsoft 365 - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365  Microsoft MVP YouTube Series: How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 ✅ Keywords    copilot, loop, microsoft 365, champions program, productivity, collaboration, excel, powerpoint, cloud, digital adoption, employee experience, ai toolsMicrosoft 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

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