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Microsoft Innovation Podcast

Mark Smith [nz365guy]
Microsoft Innovation Podcast
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  • From Hackathons to High Impact: Building Real AI Solutions
    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 🎙️ FULL SHOW NOTES https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/729   What happens when curiosity meets courage in the tech world? In this episode, Edit Kapcari shares how she transformed imposter syndrome into innovation—leading solution development at ORBUS and mentoring rising tech talent. From building AI-powered apps at hackathons to fostering internal communities that thrive on experimentation, Edit reveals how being a “sponge” for learning can reshape careers and company culture. If you're navigating the fast-moving world of AI, leadership, or Power Platform, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.  🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS - Hackathons as Launchpads: How Edit used hackathons to validate ideas, build confidence, and drive real business value with AI and Power Platform. - Mentorship That Moves People: Why creating space for experimentation and failure is essential to growing tech talent. - Building Learning Cultures: The importance of hiring “sponges” and fostering internal communities that share knowledge weekly. - Balancing Tech with Mental Health: How Edit integrates meditation, conscious eating, and psychology to lead with empathy and clarity. - Navigating the AI Landscape: Insights on staying current with AI trends, from generative interfaces to agentic systems, even when it’s not part of your day job.🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED: 👉 Microsoft's low-code development platform: https://powerplatform.microsoft.com 👉 Tools for integrating AI models: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/custom-connectors 👉Lisa Crosbie’s YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/@LisaCrosbie 👉 Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 Support 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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  • Digital Fluency: Stop Collecting Info, Start Applying
    Hosts: Mark Smith, Meg Smith🎙️ Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/728Digital fluency isn’t about hoarding tips or binge-watching tutorials. It’s the applied, confident use of tools to achieve outcomes. In this episode, we unpack why “skills over knowledge” matters, how to build a learn-it-all mindset, and what one level deeper looks like in daily work. You’ll hear practical ways to handle change, reduce digital risk, and use AI productively without losing your judgement. Expect clear examples, from identity scams to proposal workflows, and a simple path to turn theory into practice.Join the private WhatsApp group for Q&A and community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/E0iyXcUVhpl9um7DuKLYEzWhat you’ll learnDigital fluency = applied, confident use of tools; you can’t binge 25 years of skills in a weekend.Shift from know-it-all to learn-it-all: use curiosity, small daily changes, and personal wins to beat change fatigue.Trust is the organising principle: adopt a Zero Trust posture, and pressure-test decisions against your values.Practical AI workflow: research context, constrain scope, write section-specific prompts, export structured outputs, and read aloud to check tone and accuracy.Cybersecurity hygiene: limit oversharing, enable MFA and passkeys, review platform defaults, and sense-check content with a second pair of eyes.Highlights“You can't live life on somebody else's knowledge.”“We can't binge watch 25 years of digital skills in a weekend.”“Applied confident use of digital tools.”“Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.”MentionedMicrosoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Graph“Learn-it-all” mindset (Satya Nadella)Zero Trust security modelProSci change management (ADKAR)Microsoft Teams Administrator certificationSpeechify (text-to-speech)Passkeys and multifactor authenticationInstagram privacy/settings, Facebook data policiesOura Ring, 23andMe (data and vendor trust considerations)Dynamics Minds keynote reference (Donna Sarkar)Connect with the hostsMark Smith: Blog: https://www.nz365guy.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nz365guyMeg Smith: Blog: https://www.megsmith.nz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megsmithnzSupport the showSubscribe, 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: digital fluency, digital literacy, The Intelligence Age, skills over knowledge, learn-it-all mindset, AI skills, AI productivity, prompt engineering, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot prompts, Zero Trust, cybersecurity hygiene, data privacy, social engineering, identity theft preventionSupport 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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  • Break Into Tech with No Code, No Cost, No Limits
    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 🎙️ FULL SHOW NOTES https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/727What if you could pivot into AI and low-code development—without a technical background or a hefty tuition bill? In this episode, Luis Camino shares how Microsoft’s Power Up program is helping over 120,000 professionals worldwide build real-world AI skills through hands-on, no-cost learning. Whether you're looking to automate workflows, generate insights, or lead digital transformation in your organization, this conversation reveals how Power Up is reshaping the future of work—one cohort at a time.  🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS - Power Up is a free, hands-on learning academy designed to help professionals build practical AI and low-code skills, regardless of technical background. - Applied learning is central—participants work on real projects and can showcase their work to earn badges and recognition. - Mentorship and community support play a key role in learner success, with live Q&A sessions and volunteer mentors across time zones. - Enterprise teams are adopting Power Up to upskill employees and drive internal innovation, with tailored onboarding and governance support. - The curriculum is expanding to include Copilot Studio and conversational AI, with future tracks potentially covering advanced AI topics.🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED: 👉Sign up: aka.ms/PowerUp/nz365guy 👉 Power Up Program Website: aka.ms/powerup 👉 Microsoft Power Platform: powerplatform.microsoft.com  👉 Copilot Studio: learn.microsoft.com/copilot-studio Support 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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  • How Copilot Is Saving 40+ Minutes a Day
    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 🎙️ FULL SHOW NOTES https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/726What happens when a company goes all-in on AI at scale? In this episode, Christoffer Besler Hansen shares how Atea rolled out Microsoft 365 Copilot across thousands of employees—and what they learned along the way. From surprising use cases to measurable time savings, Christoffer reveals the real-world impact of generative AI in the workplace, and why user adoption is the true key to transformation.  🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS - Copilot saves time fast: Most users report saving 30–40 minutes daily, with 20% saving over an hour. - Adoption beats access: Licenses alone don’t drive value—structured onboarding and communication are essential. - Project leaders and consultants benefit most: These roles see major gains in productivity and quality. - Copilot Research Agent is a game-changer: It dramatically reduces time spent on complex tasks like architectural design and meeting prep. - Executive buy-in matters: Atea’s C-suite drove early adoption and shifted the mindset from cost to value.  🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED: 👉 Microsoft 365 Copilot – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot  👉 Copilot Research Agent – Part of Microsoft 365 Copilot (no separate URL mentioned) 👉 GitHub Copilot – https://github.com/features/copilot 👉 Cursor IDE – https://www.cursor.so 👉 ChatGPT – https://chat.openai.com 👉 Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 Support 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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  • Skill Beats Hype: Practical Ways to Augment Your Work with AI
    Hosts: Mark Smith, Meg Smith🎙️ FULL SHOW NOTEShttps://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/725Feeling behind on AI? You’re not too late. In this kickoff to the AI Advantage Show, Meg and Mark unpack the myth that “everyone is already ahead,” share why only a small group are true power users, and show how to turn fear into curiosity, then into practical skills. You will learn how to use AI as a thought partner, build adaptability in the Intelligence Age, and plug into a community that learns and teaches together, ako-style.Join the private WhatsApp group for Q&A and community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/E0iyXcUVhpl9um7DuKLYEzWhat you’ll learn- Why the “everyone is ahead” idea is a myth, and what the 10 percent power-user cliff really means for you- How to shift from knowledge to applied skill through iteration, not one-shot prompts- Ways to use AI as a thought partner so your ideas lead, and the model supports- How adaptability, curiosity, and practice compound your results over time- A simple “20 Questions” exercise that keeps outputs in your true voice- Why community matters for confidence, accountability, and momentumHighlights“It is not a ramp, it is a cliff.”“Skill beats hype. Practice, iterate, and ask better follow-up prompts.”“AI is becoming an extension of us, like the phone in your pocket.”“Ako means we learn and teach together.”MentionedBrad Smith, Tools and Weapons: https://amzn.to/45H16sDMark’s Tech Trailblazer 2-Minute Tuesday Read: https://pages.nz365guy.com/linkedinConnect with the hostsMark Smith:Blog: https://www.nz365guy.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nz365guyMeg Smith: Blog: https://www.megsmith.nzLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megsmithnzSupport the showSubscribe, 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: AI skills, generative AI, Copilot, prompting, Intelligence Age, digital fluency, adaptability, productivity, AI thought partner, learning communitySupport 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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About Microsoft Innovation Podcast

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)
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