Polaris Pathways - a Synozur podcast

Show Notes Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. Four Synozur leaders - Michelle Boyd, Michelle Caldwell, Joshua Christensen & Shari Oswald – join Chris McNulty on a special holiday edition of Polaris to reflect on 2025's seismic shifts in AI, the gap between technology and organizational maturity, and why 2026 will separate those who merely adopted tools from those who fundamentally transformed how work gets done.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Agentic AI arrived in force in 2025 – Microsoft Copilot evolved from a helpful assistant into an embedded constellation of specialized agents across M365 applications, fundamentally changing how teams operate daily.  The maturity gap is widening – Technology advancement is dramatically outpacing organizational readiness, with leadership capability now becoming the real constraint rather than the technology itself.  End-user training is no longer optional – Organizations are finally realizing that responsible AI adoption requires structured learning programs, not just tool deployment—people need guidance on how to have conversations with AI, not just search for keywords.  AI shifted from tech talk to leadership discussion – The conversation evolved from "what can AI do?" to "how do we govern it responsibly?" with leaders focused on accountability, trust, and cultural impact rather than just features.  Authenticity beats perfection – From pop culture to business strategy, 2025 rewarded genuine human connection, long-form conversation, and immersive shared experiences over polished soundbites and surface-level engagement.  Strategy without execution discipline won't cut it in 2026 – Organizations that invest in people, governance, and AI fluency alongside their technology will significantly outperform competitors who only focus on tools.  Decision support is the new frontier – The most sophisticated organizations are operationalizing AI as a decision-making backbone, using it to surface insights, test scenarios, and challenge assumptions in ways that augment human judgment.  Sound Bites Michelle Boyd (Head of Delivery Excellence, Synozur)  "We're not just talking about AI anymore—we're living it. We leverage that agentic embedded experience across the M365 environment every single day, and it's become a game changer for how we operate and how we help our customers."  "AI can surface insights I probably wouldn't have connected on my own. There's the gut check—sometimes we see results and think 'that's not exactly right for me'—but other times AI connects dots I would have missed."  "Organizations on the tip of the spear in AI adoption are going to start using it as an operational backbone—leveraging it for decision-making possibilities, setting up scenarios, and getting recommendations that inform strategy."  Michelle Caldwell (CEO, Synozur)  "AI stopped being just a technology conversation and became a leadership discussion. The real questions shifted to accountability, trust, and how leaders make decisions in an AI-augmented world."  "Technology maturity is outpacing organizational maturity. We're not looking at a technology problem—we're looking at an organizational and leadership maturity challenge."  "In 2026, we'll see two types of organizations: those that adopted AI tools and those that fundamentally redesigned how work gets done. The gap between them will be significant. AI fluency becomes table stakes for leadership."  Joshua Christensen (Head of Future of Work and Product Strategy, Synozur)  "We're going to find more clients who invested in AI over the last year but haven't seen returns. You can't just cast a wide net and pray something good comes out. You've got to narrow your focus and dive deep."  "This is not a button you just turn on and everything's automatically great. It takes thought, initiative, planning, and some hard truths about your organization—not just how it's run, but how your technology stacks were built."  "People that aren't in technology are finally clinging to what generative AI actually is—understanding it's a completely different breed from what they thought AI was, and realizing the true implications."  Shari Oswald (Learning Experience Officer, Microsoft MVP, Synozur)  "I'm so happy to see a refocus back on the end users this year. With the rise of AI, people are realizing their teams need to be trained. Companies are refocusing on learning, and this is probably one of my best years ever."  "When you search, you get content. When you use AI, you get context—but you also have to provide context. It's like coaching a teenage child to do chores. You can't just say 'take out the trash'—you need to give them all the parameters."  "I had 310 people in my Ignite session on prompting 101. People are not comfortable. They don't know where to start. You can't just expect them to pick it up—it's intimidating."  References Center for Humane Technology - "The AI Dilemma"  Presentation by Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin discussing ethical and societal impacts of AI https://www.humanetech.com/podcast/the-ai-dilemma  Netflix Acquires Warner Bros. Discovery  Major entertainment industry consolidation announced December 2025 https://about.netflix.com  Figma Slides  Professional presentation design tool launched in 2024/2025  The Wizard of Oz at Sphere Las Vegas  Immersive AI-enhanced theatrical experience opened August 2025  Vibe Coding Tools Referenced:  Replit:  Claude (Anthropic):  Lovable:  TV Shows Mentioned:  Severance (Apple TV+)  The Paper (NBC Peacock)  Fallout (Amazon Prime Video)  Stranger Things (Netflix)  South Park (Comedy Central)  Synozur Platforms Mentioned: Orion - AI maturity model platform Vega - OKR and strategic planning platform for the Company Operating System™ Constellation/SCDP - Time tracking and project management  Nebula - Digital envisioning platform  GUEST INFORMATION & PROFILES  Michelle Caldwell  CEO, Synozur Alliance  LinkedIn: Michelle Caldwell | LinkedIn Michelle Boyd  Head of Delivery Excellence, Synozur Alliance  LinkedIn: Michelle Boyd, MBA PMP SIDL | LinkedIn Joshua Christensen  Future of Work and Product Strategy Leader, Synozur Alliance  LinkedIn: Joshua Christensen | LinkedIn Shari L. Oswald  Chief Learning Officer, Synozur Alliance | Microsoft MVP & Certified Trainer  LinkedIn: Shari L. Oswald, MVP, MCT, MSOM | LinkedIn Events Strategy - Now With AI | January 6, 2026 (Online)  M365 Community Days DC 2026  January 29-30 at Microsoft Innovation Hub in Arlington VA Partner Vibe | January 28-30 at the Marriot Courtyard in South Padre Island Texas M365 Community Conference | April 21-23 at the Loews Saphire Falls in Orlando Florida AI+IM Summit | April 28-30 Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD Production Polaris is produced with help from Riverside.fm. Our holiday theme song, "A Snowflake's Tale" is provided courtesy of Epidemic Sound.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Reflections on 2025 02:50 AI and Technology Trends in 2025 08:35 Achievements and Highlights at Synozur 12:40 Pop Culture in 2025 19:47 Looking Ahead to 2026 30:21 Looking Ahead: Events and AI Strategy 31:41 Reflecting on 2025: Highlights and Milestones 33:40 The Rise of AI: Transformations and Innovations 35:21 Thanks and Happy New Year  

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. Summary Larry Namer, co-founder of E! Entertainment Television, shares his remarkable journey with Chris McNulty on Polaris - from working underground installing cables in Manhattan to building a multi-billion-dollar global media empire that transformed celebrity culture, pioneered red carpet coverage, and expanded entertainment across 140 countries—plus his insights on AI, thinking globally, and why passion alone isn't always the answer.  Takeaways Technology Creates Opportunities for the Bold: Larry started E! with just $2.5 million and 31 interns when competitors needed $60-100 million, proving that constraints can drive innovation and focus when you understand the technology landscape.  Think Globally from Day One: E! expanded to 14 countries in its first year by recognizing that the world loves Hollywood content—a lesson that applies to any business in today's interconnected marketplace.  Embrace AI as a Creative Amplifier, Not a Replacement: Larry uses AI tools like Perplexity to reduce business plan creation from five days to one hour of editing, freeing time for higher-value creative work and strategic thinking.  The Medium Shapes the Message: From broadcast to cable to streaming, each technological shift doesn't just change distribution—it fundamentally transforms what content can be and how audiences engage with it.  Follow Competence, Not Just Passion: Larry's advice challenges conventional wisdom: most people confuse passion with hobbies. Instead, find something you're good at, work until you're great, and that mastery will become your passion while funding your hobbies.  Know When to Pivot: Assess your projects regularly. Time is your most valuable asset, and successful entrepreneurs recognize when market conditions, technology, or regulations have changed enough to warrant a new direction.  Low-Cost Innovation Beats High-Budget Imitation: E! succeeded by getting premium content (movie trailers, celebrity footage) for free and surrounding it with low-cost production, following MTV's model but applied to entertainment instead of music.  Sound bites - Larry Namer On Entrepreneurship and Rejection:  "We were rejected over 100 times. In one meeting with a VC, the guy literally took the business plan and threw it at my head and said, 'How dare you insult me with such a piece of garbage?'"  On AI and the Future:  "Anybody who's not learning AI and how to bring AI into their equation is going to get left behind. It's an unbelievable creative tool. It used to take me five days to research and create a business plan. Now it takes me 30 seconds with AI, then an hour to edit it."  On Global Thinking:  "Stop thinking of just the US as being the only market. You got to think globally. If you think of what the foreign markets are, you could create things that may resonate for the whole world."  On Passion vs. Mastery:  "Most people confuse their passion with their hobby. Find something that you're good at, work your butt off until you become great at it, and then that'll become your passion, which will then give you enough financial resources to enjoy your hobbies."    References Larry Namer's Company & Social Media  LJN Media (Larry Namer's company): https://www.ljnmedia.com  Larry Namer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-namer  Larry Namer on IMDb: Larry Namer - IMDb Larry Namer on Wikipedia: Larry Namer - Wikipedia Larry Namer's Book  "Offscript: Recipes for Success" by Larry J. Namer: https://www.amazon.com/Offscript-Recipes-Success-Larry-Namer/dp/B0DVNY8KH6 [Amazon] Larry Namer's Upcoming Projects  The Immigrant Podcast (launching on YouTube and Spotify) Pamela Anchang, Will Launch A Lifestyle Show with Heart, "The Immigrant Podcast" in January with Larry Namer, Founder of E! Entertainment - Formidable Woman US Stall Talk (women's empowerment podcast)  Stall Talk Podcast (@stalltalkbabes) • Instagram photos and videos Cultural References & Locations  Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York: Visitor Information | Coney Island Fun Guide | New York Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs: Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs & Restaurants | Nathan's Famous Star Trek: The Next Generation Syndication | Memory Alpha | Fandom The Kardashians: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kardashians Companies & Networks Mentioned  E! Entertainment Television:  HBO (Home Box Office):  CNN:  TBS (Turner Broadcasting System):  MTV (Music Television):  Netflix:  YouTube:  TikTok:  Spotify:  Fox Broadcasting:  Personalities & Shows Mentioned  Jon Stewart (The Daily Show, Talk Soup alumnus)  Jon Stewart - Wikipedia Jimmy Kimmel (Jimmy Kimmel Live!)  Greg Kinnear (Talk Soup host)  Craig Kilborn (Talk Soup host)  Howard Stern (The Howard Stern Show)  Tom Cruise (actor)  Arnold Schwarzenegger (actor)  Madonna (musician)  Muhammad Ali (boxer)  Joe Frazier (boxer)  George Foreman (boxer)  Tom Brady (NFL quarterback)  Media Executives & Visionaries Mentioned  Chuck Dolan (founder of Cablevision, HBO)  Jerry Levin (former CEO of Time Warner, architect of HBO)  Ted Turner (founder of CNN, TBS)  Barry Diller (media executive)  Alan Mruvka (E! co-founder with Larry Namer) Alan Mruvka - Wikipedia Vladimir Putin (former Vice Mayor of St. Petersburg, current Russian President)  Rupert Murdoch (founder of Fox)  Concepts & Statistics Referenced  Marshall McLuhan's "The medium is the message" concept  The medium is the message - Wikipedia Streaming viewership statistics:  via Nielsen's The Gauge report  Streaming Reaches Historic TV Milestone, Eclipses Combined Broadcast and Cable Viewing For First Time | Nielsen [May 2025] Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000-hour rule for mastery Outliers (book) - Wikipedia Historical References  Bruce Springsteen's "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)":  57 Channels (And Nothin' On) - Wikipedia The Beatles' White Album The Beatles (album) - Wikipedia The Onion (satirical news): www.theonion.com Events Strategy - Now With AI | January 6, 2026 (Onlin M365 Community Days DC 2026  January 29-30 at Microsoft Innovation Hub in Arlington VA Partner Vibe | January 28-30 at the Marriott Courtyard in South Padre Island Texas M365 Community Conference | April 21-23 at the Loews Saphire Falls in Orlando Florida AI+IM Summit | April 28-30 Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD Production Polaris is produced with help from Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:44 Terms and Data Points 05:06 The Wild West of Early Cable Television 07:31 The Birth of Home Box Office and Content Creation 10:16 Innovating in Cable: The Rise of E! Entertainment 13:18 The Challenges of Starting a New Network 16:17 The Impact of E! Entertainment on Pop Culture 18:53 Redefining Entertainment: The Talk Soup Phenomenon 21:36 Reflections on Success and Global Influence 24:23 International Expansion and Media Ventures 29:55 The Evolution of Technology in Media 34:00 AI's Impact on Creativity and Business 39:16 Cultural Reflections and Personal Passions 41:27 Upcoming Events and AI Strategy for 2026 43:06 The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen 44:26 Next on Polaris 45:00 Conclusion

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. In this episode of Polaris, Chris McNulty interviews Ed DeAngelis, CEO of EDA Contractors, who shares his journey of transforming a roofing company into a leader in the construction industry through a focus on servant leadership and a people-first approach. Ed discusses the challenges faced in the construction sector, the importance of creating a win-win culture, and how humanity plays a crucial role in business success. He emphasizes the need for vulnerability in leadership and the impact of AI on the future of the industry. Takeaways Humanity as a Strategy Treating employees as human beings first—before focusing on transactions—unlocks greater loyalty, performance, and organizational success. Win-Win Beats Zero-Sum Moving away from "I win, you lose" thinking to collaborative partnerships creates sustainable success with employees, vendors, and customers alike. Leadership Evolution Takes Time Shifting from command-and-control to servant leadership requires patience—not everyone will come along, and that's okay. Vulnerability Is a Superpower The best leaders know what they don't know. Humility and vulnerability build trust far more effectively than projecting invincibility. Accountability and Care Coexist Being people-first doesn't mean avoiding accountability—you can hold people to high standards while still treating them humanely. The Human Brain Outpaces AI While AI will automate mundane tasks, human emotion, creativity, and the ability to dream remain irreplaceable competitive advantages. Culture Attracts Talent In an industry facing a shortage of 439,000 workers, creating a best-in-class environment makes your organization the top choice for skilled talent. Sound bites Ed DeAngelis Quotes "Humanity as a strategy. Be strategic on how you want to treat your people as humans first. Secondarily, you will then treat them where there's a transaction in there—but first treat them as a human." "Vulnerability is one of the greatest assets of a great leader. The best leaders I've ever dealt with are so humble to the point that they know what they don't know." "I'm not afraid of artificial intelligence, but I'm also not afraid of the value of humanity of humans. The human brain is a thousand times more powerful than an artificial intelligent brain." "A robot can only do what the robot can do. A human being with the right focus on their emotion, their drive—they are way more powerful." References Guest Information: Ed DeAngelis [ LinkedIn] – CEO, Servant Leader, Believer in "Humanity as a Strategy" EDA Contractors – Specializing in exterior envelope solutions for commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings Titan 100 – Ed DeAngelis was named one of Philadelphia's top 100 CEOs in 2025 Business Companies and Organizations Mentioned: Zappos – Known for customer-centric and people-first culture Starbucks – Pioneer in employee-focused corporate culture Google – Recognized for innovative workplace culture Southwest Airlines – Famous for servant leadership approach Vanguard – Founded by John Bogle, known for client-first philosophy Statistics and Data Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Source: approximately 49.9% of businesses fail within five years Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) – Source: The construction industry needs 439,000 new workers in 2025 Pop Culture Sports Reference: Philadelphia Eagles – Super Bowl LIX Champions (February 2025), defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22. Jalen Hurts named Super Bowl MVP. Events ESPC 25 (European SharePoint Conference) – December 1-4, 2025, Dublin, Ireland Strategy, Now With AI – January 6. 2026 (Teams Webinar) M365 Community Days DC – January 29-30, 2026 (Arlington, Virginia) Production Polaris is produced with help from Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 00:45 Introducing Ed DeAngelis 01:34 News and Data Points 03:10 Welcoming Ed to Polaris 05:27 Career Journey and Entrepreneurial Spirit 07:55 Current Business Climate and Challenges 10:18 Leadership Evolution and Style 12:33 Creating a People-First Culture 14:48 Implementing Change and Overcoming Resistance 19:08 Navigating Different Paths in Business Relationships 19:41 The Power of Humanity in the Workplace 22:45 Leadership Beyond Transactions 25:41 The Strength of Vulnerability in Leadership 27:00 The Future of the Construction Industry 30:17 The Impact of Pop Culture on Leadership Philosophy 34:28 Upcoming Events and Community Engagement 35:44 Gratitude and Reflection During Thanksgiving 36:37 Future Conversations and Insights on Technology 37:09 Closing Credits

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. In this episode of Polaris, Chris McNulty discusses the latest innovations announced at Microsoft's Ignite conference, focusing on AI advancements in Microsoft 365. Key topics include the introduction of Work IQ, the centralized management platform Agent 365, new features in Office apps, enhancements in Outlook for AI powered scheduling, and the role of SharePoint in AI-driven collaboration. The episode also highlights the Knowledge Agent for automating metadata management. Takeaways        Work IQ is Microsoft's new data layer that lets Copilot and agents understand roles, responsibilities, and collaboration patterns—turning generic prompts into context‑aware guidance. Agent 365 centralizes agent governance (registry, Entra agent IDs, conditional access, Purview/Defender signals) inside the Microsoft 365 admin center—so IT can inventory, permission, and quarantine agents. Office Agents & Agent Mode arrive for commercial Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, enabling document, analysis, and deck creation directly from chat—with transparent steps and model choice where enabled. Outlook updates: voice triage, context‑aware one‑tap prompts, and a "Schedule with Copilot" flow that auto‑builds invites and agendas from email context. Video: Sora 2 integration enters Microsoft 365 via a Frontier early adopter path for Copilot licensees—enterprise controls, watermarking, and audio. SharePoint is the "CMS for AI": Copilot now reasons over metadata, pages, images, sensitivity‑labeled content—raising answer precision; Knowledge Agent helps auto‑suggest and tag columns and is included with M365 Copilot licenses starting in January (site‑level opt‑in). What to do next: name and explain Work IQ internally, stand up Agent 365 guardrails, pilot Office Agents with clear KPIs, prep for Sora 2, and amplify SharePoint news via Viva Amplify. Key Quotes - Chris McNulty "If LLMs are the CPUs of the AI cloud, Copilot just became the operating system for work." "Work IQ is the difference between canned answers and advice that fits how your team actually gets work done." "Agent 365 finally moves us from shadow bots to managed, measurable automation." "Metadata is the secret sauce—it's why Copilot can do things you still can't do in generic chat tools." References Microsoft Official Copilot News: https://aka.synozur.com/msftcp25 Microsoft Official SharePoint News https://aka.synozur.com/msftsp25 Synozur Blog on Copilot News https://aka.synozur.com/copilot-ignite25 Synozur Blog on SharePoint News https://aka.synozur.com/sharepoint-ignite25 Synozur Blog https://www.synozur.com/insights Events Microsoft Ignite 2025 overview and registration — https://ignite.microsoft.com/en-US/homeignite.microsoft.com ESPC25 (Dec 1–4, 2025, Dublin) — https://www.sharepointeurope.com/sharepointeurope.com Microsoft 365 Community Conference 2026 (Orlando) — https://m365conf.com/m365conf.com TechCon 365 Conference Series — https://www.techcon365.com/portal/techcon365.com AI+IM Global Summit 2026 (AIIM) — https://www.aiim.org/aiim-global-summit-2026aiim.org Fintech Meetup 2026 (Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas) — https://www.fintechmeetup.com/homefintechmeetup.com Production Polaris is produced with help from Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:00 Intro to Microsoft Ignite 2025 01:14 Copilot News 08:02 SharePoint News 11:42 What does it all mean? 14:15 Upcoming Events 15:33 Next on Polaris 15:55 Thanks and Credits

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. In this episode of Polaris, Chris McNulty speaks with Adam Harmetz, Corporate Vice President for SharePoint at Microsoft. They discuss Adam's career journey, and the significant role of AI in knowledge management. The conversation delves into how SharePoint is evolving as a knowledge engine for AI, the importance of community feedback in product development, and the future of information management. Adam shares insights on balancing customer needs with product focus and reflects on the pride he feels in the SharePoint community as it approaches its 25th anniversary. Takeaways Data volume is exploding: Our world generates around 2.5 million terabytes of data every day and 90 percent of existing data was created in the last two years. Harnessing this data tsunami requires AI-powered tools that curate and surface the right information at the right time. AI adoption is mainstream: Studies show over 77 percent of companies are either using or exploring AI to drive productivity, and about 65 percent of organizations are already using generative AI to improve operations. Searching wastes time: Research suggests that knowledge workers spend nearly 19 percent of their workweek searching for and gathering information. AI-driven knowledge agents present a huge opportunity to reduce that overhead and focus teams on higher-value tasks. SharePoint's massive scale: SharePoint now serves over a billion users worldwide and processes more than two billion pieces of content every day. It has evolved from a portal into the collaboration and knowledge backbone of Microsoft 365. Intelligent content curation: Microsoft's new Knowledge Agent enriches documents with metadata, analyzes pages to fix broken links, retires outdated pages and creates new pages from simple prompts. Enriched metadata enables Copilot and agents to deliver deterministic, context-aware answers. Preparing for multiple futures: Adam Harmetz argues that work will likely involve a blend of chat-centric AI experiences and rich, branded intranets. Organizations should ensure their content is AI-ready and prioritize clear governance and metadata so they can pivot as technology evolves. The human element: SharePoint's passionate community underscores the importance of trust and empathy. Adam stresses nurturing, informing and listening to people who place their careers on a platform. Synozur's people-first philosophy aligns with that ethos, emphasizing partnerships and tailored, business-focused outcomes. Sound bites Adam Harmetz, CVP for SharePoint, Microsoft "When AI is looking for answers, SharePoint often becomes the primary citation source—almost double the next source". "Semi-structured data in SharePoint is the sweet spot for enterprise AI: structured enough to apply more structure, yet collaborative enough to capture everyone's voice". "The future won't be a clean break; it will be a split world where humans and agents co-evolve and reason over shared data stores". "In these paradigm shifts, it's better to ask why and how than to dwell on why not — great product making happens when we respect our customers' trust and solve real pain points." References Industry Data growth statistics: Our discussion referenced IFLScience's report noting that the world produces roughly 2.5 quintillion bytes (≈2.5 million terabytes) of new data each day, and 90 percent of existing data has been created in the last two years. ChatGPT adoption: We noted that ChatGPT amassed 100 million monthly active users within two months of launch, making it the fastest-growing consumer app in history. AI adoption statistics: According to AI Statistics, 77 percent of companies are using or exploring artificial intelligence in their operations. The CloudFactory blog cites McKinsey research indicating that about 65 percent of organizations were actively using generative AI by late 2025. Knowledge worker productivity: A Forbes column summarizes an IDC/McKinsey study showing that knowledge workers spend roughly 19 percent of their time searching for and gathering information. SharePoint usage: Microsoft reveals in its SharePoint blog that customers add over two billion pieces of content every day. At the 2025 M365 Community Conference, Jeff Teper announced that SharePoint has surpassed one billion users and runs two billion Power Automate flows each week. Knowledge Agent: Microsoft's official blog post "Introducing Knowledge Agent in SharePoint" outlines how the agent enriches and organizes content, suggests metadata columns, fixes broken links and helps build AI-friendly pages. Metadata & deterministic AI: Another SharePoint showcase explains how metadata understanding yields more precise, context-aware answers from Copilot and agents. AI models: Google's generative image model Nano Banana can combine and edit images based on natural language prompts, while OpenAI's Sora 2.0 video generator offers realistic, multi-shot video creation from text and images. Historical context: We mentioned the Library of Alexandria, the ancient repository that sought to collect every book in the world. Guest Links Book reference: Adam recommended the Dungeon Crawler Carl LitRPG series by Matt Dinniman.            Guest links: Connect with Adam Harmetz on LinkedIn              Personal Blog (with Helen Harmetz): Mind the Beet Events Microsoft Ignite 2025 – Nov 17-21, 2025 (San Francisco, CA).  ESPC25 (European SharePoint Conference 2025) | Dec 1-4, 2025 (Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) Dublin, Ireland). Copilot and the Company OS | January 4, 2026 (Webinar) Production Polaris is produced with help from Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Adam Harmetz and Career Journey 05:25 The Impact of AI on Knowledge Management 08:09 SharePoint as the Knowledge Engine for Co-Pilot 10:47 The Future of SharePoint and AI Integration 13:07 Community Influence on Product Development 15:54 Challenges Faced by Customers and Solutions 18:42 AI's Role in Product Design and Development 21:16 The Importance of Trust in Technology 24:07 Reflections on SharePoint's Legacy and Future 28:02 Customer Opportunities 34:02 Billion User Legacies 35:49 SharePoint Year 25 - Year 50 37:11 Personal Views on Pop Culture 39:23 Upcoming Tech Events 40:33 The Journey of Knowledge Management 42:00 Next on Polaris 42:33 Conclusion

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. Nonprofits are moving from AI experiments to governed, human‑centered deployments. AIIM's Tori Miller‑Liu and Synozur's Andrew Borg share field lessons, from "conversational search" that cites sources to coalition‑driven ethics and the EU AI Act's impact horizon.  Takeaways AI is a force multiplier, not a headcount reducer. The biggest value today is in accelerating research, finance, content triage, and enterprise search—so your people spend more time on strategy and relationships. Governance is behind adoption. Surveys show most nonprofits use AI in some form, but comparatively few have formal policies—an exposure area leaders should close. Regulation is real—and staggered. The EU AI Act is now law (entered into force Aug 1, 2024) with phased obligations through 2026; even non‑EU orgs will feel its ripple effects via vendors and data flows. "Frontier Firm" playbook is emerging. Microsoft's 2025 Work Trend Index highlights human–agent teams and "intelligence on tap"; nonprofits can apply the same operating model to scale impact responsibly. Ethics + belonging are differentiators. Keep human connection in the loop—AI can process, route, and answer, but it shouldn't replace the sense of community members join for. Start with existing platforms. Many nonprofit tech vendors now ship AI capabilities; piloting within your current stack reduces cost, risk, and time to value. Data privacy & access control are non‑negotiable. Especially for nonprofits working in sensitive contexts—design for minimum necessary data and tight permissions from day one. Sound bites Tori Miller‑Liu "Use AI to multiply value—not replace people. Our job is advancing member outcomes, and AI helps us do more of that." "Belonging beats the bot. Let AI handle transactions; keep humans where community and trust are built." "Start where you are: pilot inside the tools you already own before building from scratch." Andrew Borg "For nonprofits, AI is a force multiplier on training wheels—powerful, but it still needs guardrails." "Keep AI at arm's length ethically. Until models have a moral core, humans must stay accountable." "Cooperate to accelerate. Sector coalitions let nonprofits share tools, data, and hard‑won lessons." "Don't buy the hype—buy outcomes. The winners align AI to real missions and measurable value." References Guest Notes Tori Miller‑Liu (LinkedIn): CEO of AIIM (Association for Intelligent Information Management) Andrew Borg (LinkedIn):Head of Ethical AI & Nonprofits at Synozur Industry Notes 82% of nonprofits are using AI;  Nonprofit Quarterly: "Sector Adopting AI, Building Reserves, and Expanding Missions European Commission: "AI Act enters into force" (Aug 1, 2024) Fast Forward's accelerator program saw six times more AI-powered nonprofit applicants than the year before: Stanford Social Innovation Review: "Mapping the Landscape of AI‑Powered Nonprofits" 300% increase since 2018 in the use of AI to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals (Google.org (Research brief)) IBM watsonx Assistant  (conversational search / RAG) ASAE: Association Coalition for AI (ACAI) Forbes Coverage of MIT "GenAI Divide" ROI findings (context for '95% fail' headline) Jared Spataro from Microsoft on defining the "frontier firm" and on 'headline hype' obscuring the real buseinss value of AI. NetHope "AI Lighthouse" for Nonprofits (responsible AI resources) Culture Notes Avett Brothers and "Swept Away" on Broadway (official) Events Experts Live | October 10, 2025 at Microsoft NYC in Times Square  CollabDays New England 2025 |  October 17, 2025 Microsoft New England in Burlington MA Vancouver AI Summit | October 20, 2025 Vancouver BC TechCon 365 Dallas - | November 3-7, 2025 (Dallas, TX). Irving Convention Center Microsoft Ignite 2025 – Nov 17-21, 2025 (San Francisco, CA). ESPC25 (European SharePoint Conference 2025) | Dec 1-4, 2025 (Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) Dublin, Ireland).  Production Polaris is produced with help from Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to AI and Its Impact 01:51 News and Data Points 03:42 Tori Miller-Liu and Andrew Borg 06:10 AI in Nonprofits: Opportunities and Challenges 08:04 The Dichotomy of AI Perception 10:50 Governance and Risk in Nonprofits 13:44 AI as a Force Multiplier 16:03 The Future Workforce and AI 16:38 The Role of Education in AI Utilization 19:52 Human-AI Interaction and Ethical Considerations 21:53 AI's Role in Enhancing Community Engagement 24:30 Cooperation Among Nonprofits 27:24 Advice for Nonprofits on AI Adoption 33:43 Cultural Reflections and Personal Insights 37:36 Upcoming Tech Events Overview 38:29 Closing and Acknowledgments

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. In this episode of Polaris, Chris McNulty and futurist Michael Tchong, founder of the Ubertrends Academy, discuss the profound impact of AI on society, the workforce, and the economy. They explore the rapid advancements in AI technology, the potential for job displacement, and the need for upskilling in the workforce. Michael  emphasizes the importance of understanding the trends and innovations that AI brings, as well as the cultural shifts that accompany these changes. The conversation highlights the urgency for businesses and individuals to adapt to the evolving landscape shaped by AI. Takeaways AI's Disruption Is Here: AI is already transforming work and society on a massive scale – a change many experts call even bigger than the internet revolution. Leaders can't ignore it. Adaptation Is Key: Rather than fearing automation, organizations must focus on upskilling talent and using AI to streamline workflows. Those who leverage AI will outpace those who don't. In Michael's words, "Everyone needs to upskill… that's the only way you're going to survive." Short-Term Pain, Long-Term Gain: New tech often displaces jobs initially (especially entry-level roles). But if harnessed correctly, AI can boost productivity and create new opportunities – similar to how desktop publishing eventually made print bigger, not smaller. Real Problems, Not Just "Me-Too" Tools: Michael argues today's AI boom is filled with copycat chatbots. The real value will come from AI solving everyday pain points – for example, automating tedious workflows so people can focus on creative, high-value work. Quality vs. Quantity: With generative AI, it's now easy to pump out content – including low-quality "AI slop." In the long run, either AI will learn to produce truly high-quality results, or people will seek out human authenticity. (Think of it as a "flight to humanity," where authenticity becomes a differentiator.) Stay Ahead of the Wave: Michael's motto is, "I help you catch the next wave before it catches you." The message: be proactive. Understand the trends (like AI) shaping your industry, and lead with them – don't chase them after the fact. Sound bites Michael Tchong: "AI is the biggest revolution – even larger than the internet itself." "With AI, we're going to get a 10× wave of unforeseen effects on society." "Everyone needs to upskill in AI – it's the only way you're going to survive." "The #1 pain point for everyone is: why does it take so freaking long to do anything? Workflow is the biggest opportunity for AI to boost productivity." Chris McNulty: "Every breakthrough is social before it's technical. What changes the wires changes us." "Either AI gets better at quality, or there will be a flight to humanity – people craving authentic, human work." "AI won't replace people. But people using AI will replace those who don't." References Michael Tchong University of San Francisco – https://www.usfca.edu Michael Tchong serves as an adjunct professor of innovation at USF Ubertrends – https://www.ubertrends.com Ubertrends Academy, Michael Tchong's trend forecasting & innovation academy (and title of his book "Ubertrends – How Trends and Innovation Are Transforming Our Future"). Michael Tchong on LinkedIn Industry News ChatGPT reached 100 million users in its first two months (Source: Ubertrends) Only 17% of U.S. adults expect AI to have a mostly positive impact on society in the next 20 years (Source: Pew Research Center) 18% of work globally could be automated by AI, affecting 300 million roles (Source: Goldman Sachs) Society & Culture Open Letter on AI Pause – In 2023, Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, and 1,000+ tech leaders signed an open letter urging a 6-month pause on advanced AI development, warning of "profound risks to society"[5]. Teens & AI Therapy –28% of parents report their teen has used AI for emotional support (Source: Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report: Connected Kids (2025)) Ford CEO on Jobs – Jim Farley (Ford Motors) predicted at Aspen Ideas Festival that "AI is going to replace literally half of all white-collar workers in the U.S.". (Source: Ford Authority.) John Oliver's Take – On HBO's Last Week Tonight, John Oliver discussed how it's not going to be AI replacing lawyers; it's going to be lawyers with AI replacing lawyers without it. "The Victorian Internet" (book by Tom Standage) chronicles how the 19th-century telegraph revolutionized communication, spurring phenomena from instant stock quotes to the first "online" romances – a reminder that technology has long disrupted social norms. Events TribalNet Conference | September 14-18, 2025, Reno Nevada London Tech Leaders' Summit | October 7-8., 2025 Minster Building - right near the Tower of London - London UK  Experts Live | October 10, 2025 at Microsoft NYC in Times Square Vancouver AI Summit | October 19-20, 2025 Vancouver BC TechCon 365 Dallas - | November 3-7, 2025 (Dallas, TX) - Irving Convention Center Microsoft Ignite 2025 – Nov 17-21, 2025 (San Francisco, CA).  ESPC25 (European SharePoint Conference 2025) | Dec 1-4, 2025 (Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) Dublin, Ireland).  Production Polaris is produced with help from Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:11 Terms and Data Points 03:32 Introducing Michael Tchong 05:24 The Rise of AI and Its Impact 07:07 Future of Work and Labor Market 09:50 AI in Marketing and Business Transformation 11:20 Agentic AI 14:27 Conclusion and Future Directions 30:22 Cultural Influences 32:57 Upcoming Tech Events and Conferences 34:03 The Impact of Technology on Society 35:16 Closing

Show Notes Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. In this episode of Polaris, Chris McNulty and Rob Asen discuss the critical challenges of corporate transformation, the role of transformation offices, and the impact of AI on business strategies. They share insights from successful transformation projects, highlight common pitfalls to avoid, and outline a five-step process for effective transformation. Additionally, Rob shares his personal experiences with community service through flying patients and rescue dogs, emphasizing the importance of engagement and leadership in driving change. Takeaways Transformation ≠ PMO++: A PMO ensures projects run; a Transformation Office owns the strategy and is empowered to make course corrections without months of re alignment. PMO = "doing things right;" TO = "doing the right things." Lead from the top (and closer to the work): Transformations only stick when the CEO and senior team are personally engaged, with the TO reporting at or near the top of the house. AI now lets leaders be "virtually hands on" deeper in operations. A 5 part operating lens—Vision, Leadership, Impact, Capacity, Measurement—keeps strategy connected to execution, prioritization, change absorption, and outcomes (not activities).  Be adaptive to shocks: Geopolitics (e.g., the new U.S. tariffs now in effect) and supply chain fragility demand faster decision cycles—exactly where a TO excels over a reporting only PMO. Reality check: Only about 12% of major transformations fully achieve their original ambition—raising the bar on the governance and empowerment a TO provides.  AI shifts roles: As AI reduces administrative overhead, PMO functions evolve, while executives gain better telemetry and can intervene at the right altitude—without substituting governance for management.  Human factor matters: Deep, credible sponsorship, clear trade offs, and authentic change management beat checklists and adoption dashboards every time.  Sound bites (Rob Asen)  "A PMO makes the trains run on time. A Transformation Office decides if we're even on the right railroad."  "Strategy needs the right to turn left—without a six‑month re‑alignment."  "AI won't replace leadership; it makes good leaders hands‑on at scale."  "If you can't measure impact, you're just admiring activity."  References Business Transformation Office success rates: (Bain) — Only ~12% of major transformations meet original ambition.  Long‑term sustainment: McKinsey — only 12% sustain transformation goals for 3+ years. Rise of the Transformation Office / Chief Transformation Officer:   Tariffs: Over the past two weeks, sweeping new U.S. tariffs entered into effect. See coverage from NBC, NYT and WEF. Frozen raspberries & U.S. supply concentration (illustration of fragile chains): Washington State — especially Whatcom County — dominates U.S. frozen red raspberries production. TSMC & semiconductor dependence (mentioned) Guest Rob Asen (Synozur Transformation Officer): LinkedIn PALS SkyHope (Patient AirLift Services) — free medical flights Pilots N Paws (animal rescue flights) Events TribalNet Conference | September 14-18, 2025, Reno Nevada London Tech Leaders Summit | October 7-8., 2025 Minster Building - London UK Experts Live | October 10, 2025 at Microsoft NYC in Times Square Vancouver AI Summit | October 19-20, 2025 Vancouver BC TechCon 365 Dallas - | November 3-7, 2025 (Dallas, TX). Irving Convention Center Microsoft Ignite 2025 – Nov 17-21, 2025 (San Francisco, CA).  ESPC25 (European SharePoint Conference 2025) | Dec 1-4, 2025 (Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) Dublin, Ireland). Production Polaris is produced with the help from Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:27 Data Points and References 02:30 Introducing Rob Asen 06:58 The Impact of AI on Transformation Offices 11:36 Leading Transformation Projects: A Personal Story 11:37 Defining the Transformation Office 21:48 The Telecom Transformation Journey 23:30 Avoiding Transformation Pitfalls 28:11 Recommendations for Successful Transformation 33:42 The Impact of Personal Experiences 39:00 Upcoming Events 39:58 Closing

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. In this episode of Polaris, Chris McNulty hosts Ryan Barry from M-Files and Ian Story from Microsoft to discuss the evolving landscape of content management, particularly in light of their new partnership. They explore how AI is transforming traditional content management systems, the unique offerings of M-Files, and the importance of unstructured data in leveraging AI effectively. The conversation highlights the benefits of their collaboration, which allows organizations to utilize the strengths of both M-Files and Microsoft without having to choose between them. The episode concludes with insights into future trends in content management and the significance of tailored solutions for specific industries. Key Takeaways ·       Content is Exploding: The $73 billion content management market is booming, with enterprise data volumes expected to reach 175 zettabytes by 2025 — most of it unstructured. Businesses need effective solutions to transform this information into insights. ·       No More Either/Or: The partnership between M-Files and Microsoft removes the old dilemma of choosing between a specialized system and Microsoft 365. Now, clients benefit from M-Files' purpose-built content management solution for industry use cases natively within Microsoft 365, blending collaboration with structure. SharePoint Embedded serves as the storage backend, enabling native Office co-authoring, and native access to M-Files content for Copilot, while keeping content within Microsoft's compliance framework for unified security and governance. ·       AI-Ready Content: This joint solution also prepares organizations for the future of AI. By combining M-Files' semantic architecture with Microsoft's AI tools, companies elevate their AI solutions, ensuring accurate and relevant information is accessed by LLM technologies. SharePoint provides broad content services while M-Files delivers out of the box solutions for industry use cases —allowing businesses to tailor solutions to their needs without fragmentation of their investment in Microsoft. ·       User Adoption through Simplicity: Ultimately, this seamless approach encourages user adoption. Employees can work in familiar apps while M-Files manages content in the background, promoting compliance and readiness for the AI era. · Sound bites Ryan Barry (M-Files) – Vice President, Strategic Operations & Corp Dev "In the next five years, every organization – big or small – will be challenged to find a way to effectively implement AI… because they'll be left behind if they don't." "A document management system is basically a structured approach to your unstructured data. That's how you make AI work for you – garbage in, garbage out." "We've eliminated a painful choice for customers. You no longer have to pick between the Microsoft platform and a specialized solution – now you get both, seamlessly." "The reality is, the lowest common denominator tends to prevail. Whatever is easiest for users is what happens. This partnership makes the right way the easy way." Ian Story (Microsoft) – Principal Architect, OneDrive & SharePoint "This is some of the biggest news in content management since SharePoint itself. Two former rivals are teaming up – and the result is greater than the sum of its parts." "Everybody loves the library… nobody wants to be the librarian. We need tools that organize and govern information for you, without extra effort." "If you've ever named a file 'Final_final_V2.doc', you know you need a better content management system!" "Language is the rocket fuel of AI, and language lives in documents. By bringing all your content into one intelligent system, you're filling your AI's tank with high-octane fuel." References M-Files and Microsoft M-Files – https://www.m-files.com Microsoft – https://www.microsoft.com SharePoint Embedded Ryan Barry – M-Files VP Corp Dev Ian Story – Microsoft Principal Architect M-Files & Microsoft Partnership Press Release – Microsoft SharePoint Blog – "SharePoint Embedded & M-Files: a new wave of document management" Forrester Blog (Cheryl McKinnon) – "M-Files Deepens Microsoft Integration" Content Management IDC Data Age Report – Global Datasphere to reach 175 ZB by 2025 Congruity360 Blog – Unstructured Data Stats (80% & 95%) AIIM Industry Research – "No single ECM system" Pop Culture "Happy Gilmore 2" - July 2025 Dodgers vs. Red Sox - July 2025 – Red Sox take the series in Fenway, 2-1. Kirk Gibson 1988 HR – The Natural in real life Events FY26 Forward - Microsoft Partner Success Strategies - August 26 (Teams Online) London Tech Leaders' Summit | October 7-8., 2025 (London UK) Minster Building Experts Live | October 10, 2025 at Microsoft NYC in Times Square Vancouver AI Summit | October 20, 2025 (Vancouver BC) – Harbour Centre TechCon 365 Dallas - | November 3-7, 2025 (Dallas, TX). Irving Convention Center Microsoft Ignite 2025 | Nov 17-21, 2025 (San Francisco, CA).  ESPC25 (European SharePoint Conference 2025) | Dec 1-4, 2025 (Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) Dublin, Ireland). Production Polaris is produced with the help from Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:00 The Rise of AI in Content Management 01:40 Terms and Data Points 03:20 Navigating the Challenges of Unstructured Data 03:28 Introduction and Backgrounds 05:48 The Partnership Announcement 07:27 Sportsball - Red Sox and Dodgers 09:13 In the News: M-Files and Microsoft 10:21 M-Files Now Native to Microsoft 365 12:30 Customer Reactions and Market Impact 15:16 The Value Proposition of the Partnership 24:29 Content Management and Human Nature 25:21 What's SharePoint Embedded? 30:07 Understanding the Value of Content Management 31:58 The Role of AI in Content Management 37:37 Future Trends in Content Management 41:42 Personal Insights and Recommendations 45:35 Upcoming Events 46:46 Closing Thoughts

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. In this episode of Polaris, Chris McNulty speaks with Damien Lacey, an expert in operational excellence, about his journey from a consultant to a business owner. They discuss the importance of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies in today's business landscape, the challenges of acquiring a business, and the cultural shifts that come with ownership. Damien shares insights on balancing strategy with operations, the impact of AI on productivity, and offers advice for small business owners looking to improve their operations. References      Guest Tru Steel – Tru Steel is a steel fabrication company in Australia acquired by Damien Lacey and his team to implement operational excellence firsthand. The company designs, manufactures, and installs steel buildings, and serves as a real-world example of Lean transformation in action. OE Partners – Damien's consulting firm, specializing in operational excellence. Damien Lacey – Founder of OE Partners and Principal at Tru Steel Business Lean and Six Sigma – Lean and Six Sigma are proven methodologies for improving productivity and reducing waste. They've been applied across industries for nearly a century, helping businesses streamline operations and solve problems through data-driven decision-making. McKinsey & Company – Referenced for research on global disruptions and the resurgence of Lean Six Sigma as a top continuous improvement approach (including a mining case of 25% output boost) Entrepreneur Magazine – Cited for the "Silver Tsunami" statistic: over 12 million boomer-owned small-to-mid businesses in the U.S. are poised for sale as baby boomers retire, creating a buyer's market for transformational change Bosch (Robert Bosch GmbH) – Global engineering and manufacturing company where Damien first implemented Lean practices (Bosch Production System), referenced in his career story Toyota – Automotive company famed for the Toyota Production System; referenced as the source of many Lean principles (Damien worked at Toyota to learn from "the source" of Lean)   Pop Culture The Who – Rock band referenced via the song "Won't Get Fooled Again" (lyric: "meet the new boss, same as the old boss") as a pop culture touchpoint about leadership change Star Trek – Iconic science fiction franchise (Original Series, Next Generation, Voyager) cited as a personal influence illustrating teamwork and problem-solving, contrasted with today's bite-sized media Events Seattle Tech Week |  July 28 - August 1, Seattle WA FY26 Forward - Microsoft Partner Success Strategies | August 26 (Teams Webinar) Tribal Net Conference | September 14-18, 2025, Reno Nevada London Tech Leaders' Summit | October 7-8, 2025,- London UK Experts Live | October 10, 2025 at Microsoft NYC in Times Square Vancouver AI Summit | October 20, 2025 Vancouver BC TechCon 365 Dallas - | November 3-7, 2025 (Dallas, TX) Microsoft Ignite 2025 – Nov 17-21, 2025 (San Francisco, CA) ESPC25 (European SharePoint Conference 2025) | Dec 1-4, 2025 (Dublin, Ireland) Takeaways Lean applies everywhere: Lean and Six Sigma principles have been proven across industries – the question isn't if they fit your business, but how to leverage them in your operations. Operational excellence is timely: In an era of supply chain disruptions, inflation, and labor shortages, continuous improvement methods are seeing a resurgence as companies seek efficiency and resilience. Transformation through ownership: Damien Lacey's journey from consultant to business owner highlights the difference between advising on improvements and implementing them on the front lines, providing a firsthand perspective on change leadership. Balance strategy and execution: Even the best strategies fail without execution – success comes from iterating improvements while keeping the business running, "not letting perfect be the enemy of the good." Empowering small businesses: Many small-to-mid size business owners feel their operations are too chaotic or custom to improve, but Damien shows that by standardizing processes and addressing root causes, there is a path out of the chaos to greater control and efficiency. Leadership and culture matter: Continuous improvement requires a culture of ongoing learning and problem-solving. Leadership must support building processes (even when prior success came from instinct) to make improvements sustainable beyond any one person's know-how. Future-focused advantage: Embracing operational excellence and new technologies (like AI) in tandem will widen the gap between average companies and excellent ones – those slow to improve risk falling behind, while adopters can dramatically outperform peers. Notable Quotes (Damien Lacey) "It's not a question of whether Lean applies to my business. It does, and it has – the question is how do I apply it in my business." "Business owners will embrace an idea quickly if it gives them a result, and dismiss it equally quickly if it doesn't." "You've got to choose to iterate – not letting perfect be the enemy of the good." "The gap between the average company and an excellent company will widen… businesses that don't adopt better methods will fall by the wayside." Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Damien Lacey 04:06 Damien's Journey in Engineering and Consulting 06:53 Current Trends in Supply Chain and AI 09:25 Operational Excellence: Lean and Six Sigma 10:30 Acquiring True Steel: The Transition to Ownership 13:21 Insights from the Business Acquisition Process 17:13 Cultural Shifts in Business Ownership 19:51 Balancing Strategy and Operations 22:08 Misunderstandings in Operational Excellence 25:15 Starting the Journey to Improvement 27:58 The Future of Operational Excellence and AI 29:21 Personal Insights and Influences 31:38 Conclusion and Staying Connected 32:00 Upcoming Tech Events Overview 33:35 Wrap-Up and Guest Insights Production Polaris is produced with the help of Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley.

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. In this episode of Polaris, Chris McNulty speaks with Jordan Uytterhagen, CEO of Cadence Solutions, about the critical role of data migration in the age of AI. They discuss the challenges organizations face when transitioning to modern platforms like Microsoft 365, the importance of information architecture, and the need for effective governance during migration. Jordan shares insights on user behavior, best practices for successful migrations, and the tools Cadence offers to streamline the process. The conversation also touches on future trends in data management and personal reflections on business culture. Notable Quotes (Jordan Uytterhagen) "You go from Jetsons technology at home to Flintstones technology at work." "Co-authoring is a huge change management win without really needing to do anything." "Anyone can get data into SharePoint — the hard part is getting it out of the old system." "There are filers and there are pilers, and you can't make one into the other." References Industry Forbes – Reference about modernizing legacy data platforms for AI readiness. CIO Magazine – Article on consolidating outdated systems onto modern platforms to cut costs and complexity. Gartner – emphasizing that careful planning and risk management in data migrations leads to more successful outcomes. OpenText – an enterprise content management software suite often used for document and records management. Kofax – , a software company specializing in document capture, OCR, and automation solutions for digitizing content. Guest Jordan Uytterhagen - LinkedIn Cadence Solutions – the boutique firm founded by Jordan Uytterhagen, focused on data migration and information governance (Microsoft 365 specialist). Pop culture The Jetsons – a 1960s animated sitcom set in a futuristic world of advanced technology (shorthand for "modern tech"). The Flintstones – a 1960s animated sitcom about a Stone Age family (shorthand for "outdated tech"). It was created to be a primetime  Stone Age cartoon based on The Honeymooners with Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. Shoe Dog – a memoir by Nike co-founder Phil Knight, recounting the scrappy early days and growth of Nike. The Founder –  a 2016 biographical film starring Micheal Keaton about Ray Kroc and the expansion of the McDonald's franchise. Air (2023) – a 2023 film dramatizing Nike's pursuit of a young Michael Jordan and the creation of the Air Jordan sneaker line starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Too Big to Fail - a 2009 book by Andrew Ross Sorkin (and later an HBO film) detailing the 2008 financial crisis and the collapse of Wall Street institutions. The Big Short – a 2015 film (based on Michael Lewis's book) that portrays a few investors who bet against the 2008 housing bubble and profited from the financial crisis. American Greed – a CNBC true-crime documentary series that profiles cases of corporate fraud and white-collar crime. Moneyball – a 2011 film (based on a book) about the Oakland A's baseball team using data analytics to build a competitive roster on a budget, with Brad Pitt, Chris Pratt and Jonah Hill War Dogs – a 2016 film based on the true story of two young men who became unlikely arms dealers for the U.S. government, again with Jonah Hill and Miles Teller Events M365 Community Days NYC | July 25, 2025 at Microsoft NYC in Times Square Seattle Tech Week |  July 28 - August 1, Seattle WA TechCon 365 Atlanta | August 11-15 at the Georgia World Congress Center. FY26 Forward - Microsoft Partner Success Strategies - August 26 North American Collaboration Summit | September 7-9 Branson. MO TribalNet Conference | September 14-18, 2025, Reno Nevada London Tech Leaders' Summit | October 7-8., 2025 London UK Experts Live | October 10, 2025 at Microsoft NYC in Times Square Vancouver AI Summit | October 20, 2025 Vancouver BC Takeaways Modernize for AI: True AI readiness begins with a solid data foundation. Jordan explains that moving content from old systems to modern cloud platforms is key before using advanced AI tools. Without accessible data, even the best AI models can't provide value, so modernization is essential. Use Your Cloud Investments: Many organizations already pay for Microsoft 365 yet don't fully use it. Migrating legacy data unlocks built-in features and cuts costs by retiring outdated systems. Jordan shares examples where clients used their E5 licenses more effectively after migration, boosting ROI on existing software. Immediate Wins (Beyond AI): Migration brings quick benefits beyond future AI. For instance, e-discovery and audit trails improve instantly when data is consolidated, pleasing compliance teams. Co-authoring in SharePoint and OneDrive also boosts collaboration, especially for new hires used to modern tools, helping drive change. Filers vs. Pilers – Keep Some Structure: People organize in different ways—filers prefer folders, pilers use search. Jordan recommends a light structure with basic folders and metadata for filers, so everyone has a place for their content. This approach avoids overcomplication and supports both search-driven users and governance. Migration Is More Than Moving Files: Migration involves more than just transferring files; legacy systems often have retention policies, workflows, or integrations. These elements need to be rebuilt in the new system. Jordan stresses that detailed planning is crucial, including what to move first and how to manage processes post-migration. Choose Partners with Source Expertise: Jordan's key point is that extracting data from old systems is the hardest part. Pick migration partners familiar with your legacy platform to avoid missing data or complications. His team even built specialized tools for common legacy systems, highlighting the value of source expertise. Plan, Govern, and Manage Risk: Success means balancing speed with caution. Jordan advises migrating by department or priority, freezing content during cut-over, and scheduling transitions during off-peak times. It's okay to leave behind unnecessary data. Careful planning prevents loss or disruption and ensures the migration finishes on time. Production Polaris is produced with the help of our friends at Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:00 Introductions 01:09 Terms and Data Points 01:59 Welcome to Jordan Uytterhagen 04:31 The Role of AI in Data Migration 07:26 Understanding Microsoft 365 Benefits 10:20 Migration Strategies and Challenges 12:58 Information Architecture vs. AI 15:49 The Future of Data Migration 17:31 Client Experiences and Lessons Learned 19:48 Tools and Services for Migration 22:56 The Importance of Understanding Legacy Systems 29:32 Cultural Insights and Recommendations 32:45 Upcoming Tech Events Overview 34:35 Wrap-Up and Guest Insights

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. Summary In this episode of Polaris, Chris McNulty interviews Ginny Delaitre, founder of VDS Digital Agency, discussing the critical role of user experience in marketing. They explore Ginny's journey from an iOS developer to an entrepreneur, the cultural challenges of establishing a business in the U.S., and the importance of understanding client journeys. The conversation delves into successful marketing strategies for healthcare and luxury brands, the significance of persona mapping, and the challenges of content marketing. Ginny shares insights on ideal customer profiles and her current focus on creating AI tools for enhancing user experience in marketing. Takeaways User Experience (UX) Marketing is critical before product sign-up: Don't just focus on existing customers – design a pre-customer journey that makes discovering and engaging with your brand seamless and compelling. A well-designed user experience even before someone becomes a customer can dramatically boost conversion rates (companies prioritizing UX see up to 400% higher conversions, per Forrester). Persona Mapping drives strategy: Before jumping into campaigns, clarify who you're talking to. Ginny emphasizes starting with strategy – define your brand and map out ideal customer personas (their goals, habits, challenges, and hang-outs). This ensures your marketing efforts hit the right channels and messages. Businesses that use persona mapping see significantly higher conversion rates (HubSpot says 73% higher) because content and outreach are better targeted. You can't be everywhere – focus on the right channels: It's impossible (and inefficient) to try engaging on every social platform or marketing channel. Use data (or informed hypotheses, for new businesses) to find where your target personas actually spend time. Ginny advises clients to select 3–4 key channels that make sense for their audience and excel there, rather than stretching thin across all platforms. Content marketing isn't dead – it needs purpose: People who claim "content marketing is dead" are likely doing it wrong. Content needs a focused topic and a purpose. Random posts with no theme won't move the needle. Instead, build content around consistent themes or stories that align with your audience's interests, and include a clear call-to-action. When done with strategy, content marketing remains a powerful tool to educate and convert customers (instead of "content for content's sake"). Consistency and brand experience matter (especially for premium brands): Every customer touchpoint should meet the same high standard. For example, in luxury marketing, the brand is the product – customers pay for an image and experience. Ginny notes that luxury audiences are extremely demanding; they expect personalized, high-quality interactions at every step. One off-key message or low-effort visual can break the illusion. Maintaining a cohesive "vibe" across channels builds trust and brand desire. Strategy is about choices: Good strategy means choosing what not to do as much as what to do. Ginny and Chris discuss that you can't chase every idea – you must prioritize the customer journeys and campaigns that align with your goals. Look at data and early results to adjust quickly. It's better to do a few things well than many things poorly. Tech knowledge is a marketing superpower: Ginny's background as an iOS developer and her embrace of AI tools gives her an edge in marketing. In 2025, marketing leaders benefit from understanding technology – from mobile-first design (thinking of that "little screen" first) to leveraging AI (even "no-code" tools involve some code). Embracing tech helps marketers create better user experiences (e.g. interactive content, personalized automation) and operate more efficiently. Sound bites Ginny Delaitre (Guest): "Everyone wants to post tomorrow, but I always insist on strategy first – we need to know who we're talking to." "Some say content marketing is dead – I say they're doing it wrong. Content needs a purpose; without that, it means nothing." "Luxury customers pay a lot, so they want a lot. We create a vibe where the brand is the experience – the product comes second." References Guest Ginny Delaitre (LinkedIn) – Ginny's professional profile VDS Digital Agency – The digital agency founded by Ginny Delaitre, specializing in user experience marketing, design, and strategy for clients in industries from military relocation to luxury retail. Research Forrester – Their research noted that companies prioritizing UX design can see a 400% increase in conversion rates. McKinsey & Company – Found that nearly 80% of luxury sales are influenced by one or more digital touchpoints, underscoring the importance of digital strategies for luxury brands. HubSpot – Observed that using persona mapping yields about a 73% higher conversion rate in sales funnels, highlighting the value of well-defined customer personas. MustWants – A platform (created by veterans) that helps U.S. military families find housing when relocating for PCS (Permanent Change of Station) moves – this is the "military real estate" service Ginny referenced. Culture Sesame Street – Long-running children's TV show known for the segment "One of These Things Is Not Like the Other," used as an analogy for inconsistent branding in the episode discussion. Supernatural (TV Series) – A fantasy/horror TV show (2005–2020) with 15 seasons. Ginny noted how watching it reflects the evolution of consumer technology (from flip phones in 2005 to smartphones by 2020). Black Mirror – A British sci-fi anthology series that explores the dark side of technology. Chris mentioned it as a contrast when discussing the impacts of tech advances (as opposed to the optimistic take on tech in marketing ). Events M365 Community Days NYC | July 25, 2025 at Microsoft NYC in Times Square Seattle Tech Week |  July 28 - August 1, Seattle WA FY26 Forward - Microsoft Partner Success Strategies - August 26. I'll be sitting down with our CEO Michelle Caldwell for a fireside chat about Microsoft's plans for its new fiscal year and how Microsoft partners can align for success. TechCon 365 Atlanta | August 11-15 at the Georgia World Congress Center. North American Collaboration Summit | September 7-9 Branson. MO TribalNet Conference | September 14-18, 2025, Reno Nevada London Tech Leaders Summit | October 7-8., 2025 Minster Building - right near the Tower of London London UK Vancouver AI Summit | October 20, 2025 Harbor Centre in Vancouver BC Microsoft Ignite 2025 – Nov 17-21, 2025 (San Francisco, CA).   ESPC25 (European SharePoint Conference 2025) | Dec 1-4, 2025 (Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) Dublin, Ireland).  Production Polaris is produced with the help of our friends at Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Ginny Delaitre and VDS Digital Agency 01:07 News and Data Points 02:10 Welcome to Ginny Delaitre 04:07 Journey from Developer to CEO 06:47 Cultural Challenges of Starting a Business in the US 09:08 Understanding UX Marketing 11:54 Client Journeys and Success Stories 15:01 Marketing for Luxury Brands 17:48 The Importance of Strategy in Marketing 21:07 Content Marketing and Ideal Customer Profiles 23:25 Pop Culture Reflections and Future Endeavors 25:49 Upcoming Tech Events Overview 27:41 Wrap-Up and Guest Insights

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. In this conversation, Chris McNulty and Gabriel Karawani discuss the challenges of fragmented information in digital workplaces and the introduction of Atlas, a knowledge assistant designed to improve productivity and knowledge management. They explore the future of AI in knowledge management, common misconceptions about AI, and the importance of integrating knowledge with AI systems. The discussion includes success stories from organizations using Atlas, the risks of relying on public AI, and the ethical considerations surrounding AI use. They also address the challenges of capturing tacit knowledge and measuring success in knowledge management. Key Takeaways  The "Toggle Tax" is Real: Fragmented apps and data silos cause employees to toggle between tools ~1,200 times a day, wasting nearly 4 hours a week (about 9% of work time) just reorienting. Unified knowledge systems can recover this lost productivity.  First-Gen AI Fell Short: Early AI assistants created isolated "islands of AI" within each tool, adding to silos. Business leaders now demand Omni AI – solutions that integrate data across all platforms for cohesive answers.  Integrated Knowledge = Competitive Edge: Companies relying only on public AI (like generic chatbots) get "vanilla" answers, while those who leverage proprietary knowledge via tools like Atlas gain trusted, context-aware insights tailored to their business – a significant competitive advantage.  Atlas Platform in Action: Atlas, ClearPeople's intelligent knowledge platform, auto-captures and classifies information across Microsoft 365 and other systems, acting as an "ultimate knowledge assistant" that delivers precise answers with sources cited for trust. This reduces search time and surfaces expertise within the organization.  AI Needs Quality Data: Generative AI isn't magic – it's only as smart as the data you feed it. Context is king – AI must know which knowledge base or document version is relevant. A key Atlas benefit is robust metadata (like tagging content by client, project, or jurisdiction) so AI uses the right information when answering.  Ethical, Responsible AI is Essential: Enterprises should implement AI with transparency, security, and governance. Gabe notes the importance of ethical AI use, complying with standards (like ISO/IEC 42001 AI management systems) and emerging regulations (EU AI Act) while building a culture that encourages sharing knowledge responsibly.  People + AI, Not vs. AI: Successful adoption requires empowering people with AI, not replacing them. Atlas's approach augments human expertise – e.g. capturing experts' know-how and making it discoverable – so employees spend less time searching and more time innovating and collaborating on higher-value tasks.  Sound Bites (Gabe Karawani)  "It became a case of 'The answer is GenAI – now what's the question?' People assumed generative AI would magically solve knowledge problems. In reality, AI needs guidance and context to be useful."  "If you run your business on public AI, you'll get vanilla answers. Your competitor using AI trained on their own knowledge will eat your lunch with richer, precise insights."  "Think of Atlas as your ultimate knowledge assistant. It connects you instantly with the right information and experts inside your organization by automatically capturing and classifying knowledge at scale."  "Unless an AI agent can connect to the right contextual knowledge, it's likely to give a perfectly credible answer based on the wrong data. That's a big problem we solve – making sure AI is grounded in truth."  References Toggle Tax: Harvard Business Review – "How Much Time and Energy Do We Waste Toggling Between Applications?" (Murty et al., 2022). Study of 137 workers found ~1,200 app/website toggles per day and ~4 hours per week lost to reorienting. https://hbr.org/2022/08/how-much-time-and-energy-do-we-waste-toggling-between-applications   Retirement of Viva Topics (February 2024) to refocus on generative AI, with full retirement by Feb 2025. Organizations using Viva Topics are advised to prepare alternatives for knowledge discovery. https://www.reworked.co/digital-workplace/microsoft-is-retiring-viva-topics-heres-what-you-can-do/   Agent2Agent (A2A) Protocol – An open standard (initially by Microsoft and Google, now Linux Foundation) for secure, interoperable communication between AI agents. Announced in 2025 and backed by over 100 tech companies, A2A enables different AI systems to "talk" to each other and collaborate. https://www.zdnet.com/article/linux-foundation-adopts-a2a-protocol-to-help-solve-one-of-ais-most-pressing-challenges/   Model Context Protocol (MCP) – An emerging open standard (led by Anthropic) that provides a universal way for an AI agent to connect to external tools, APIs, and data sources 2 2. MCP acts like a "USB-C port for AI," complementing A2A by grounding agents in shared data. https://www.zdnet.com/article/linux-foundation-adopts-a2a-protocol-to-help-solve-one-of-ais-most-pressing-challenges/   ISO/IEC 42001:2023 – The first international standard for AI Management Systems (AIMS), published Dec 2023. It provides a framework for governing AI use (risk management, transparency, bias mitigation, etc.) to ensure responsible, ethical AI deployment https://www.iso.org/standard/42001 EU AI Act – The European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act (entered into force Aug 2024) is the world's first comprehensive AI law. It introduces a risk-based framework restricting certain AI practices, imposing transparency for AI systems, and requiring extra compliance for "high-risk" AI (e.g. in hiring or biometric ID). Artificial intelligence act Guest Information Gabe Karawani - LinkedIn ClearPeople – A digital solutions company co-founded by Gabe Karawani, specializing in knowledge management on Microsoft 365. Creator of the Atlas Intelligent Knowledge Platform. https://www.clearpeople.com Atlas Intelligent Knowledge Platform – ClearPeople's AI-powered knowledge platform for enterprises. It centralizes and auto-classifies content across Microsoft 365 (Teams, SharePoint, etc.) and other sources, providing a single trusted hub for knowledge discovery, enterprise search, and AI assistance. https://www.clearpeople.com/atlas-platform Events M365 Community Days NYC | July 25, 2025 at Microsoft NYC in Times Square Seattle Tech Week |  July 28 - August 1, Seattle WA TechCon 365 Atlanta | August 11-15 at the Georgia World Congress Center. FY26 Forward - Microsoft Partner Success Strategies - August 26. I'll be sitting down with our CEO Michelle Caldwell for a fireside chat about Microsoft's plans for its new fiscal year and how Microsoft partners can align for success. North American Collaboration Summit | September 7-9 Branson. MO TribalNet Conference | September 14-18, 2025, Reno Nevada Vancouver AI Summit | October 20, 2025 Vancouver BC TechCon 365 Dallas - | November 3-7, 2025 (Dallas, TX). Irving Convention Center Microsoft Ignite 2025 – Nov 17-21, 2025 (San Francisco, CA).  ESPC25 (European SharePoint Conference 2025) | Dec 1-4, 2025 (Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) Dublin, Ireland).  Production Polaris is produced with the help of our friends at Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Gabriel Karawani and Clear People 06:21 The Evolution of Atlas: From Services to Product 09:50 Navigating the AI Landscape: Misconceptions and Realities 15:34 Success Stories: Real-World Applications of Atlas 21:23 The Importance of Tailored AI Solutions 26:18 Ethical Considerations in AI Implementation 29:16 Measuring Success: Key Metrics for AI Impact 33:06 Challenges in Knowledge Management: Tackling Tacit Knowledge 35:56 Upcoming Events in 2025 37:26 Conclusion

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. In this episode of Polaris, Chris McNulty speaks with Kelly Schuknecht, CEO of Two-Mile-High Marketing, about the importance of thought leadership in marketing. They discuss Kelly's journey from being an employee to starting her own marketing agency, the significance of establishing authority, and how to effectively connect with audiences. The conversation also covers the role of messaging, the benefits of podcasting, and the evolution of authorship in building credibility. Kelly shares insights on client success stories and strategies for post-publication marketing, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to thought leadership. Takeaways Thought Leadership Drives Business: Establishing yourself as a thought leader can directly lead to business opportunities – according to an Edelman/LinkedIn study, nearly 60% of decision-makers awarded business to a company because of its strong thought leadership content. From Support Role to Leader: Kelly's career journey shows that transitioning from a behind-the-scenes supporter to the public face of a brand can be scary but rewarding. Being laid off pushed her to start her own firm and step into the spotlight, illustrating that sometimes adversity sparks growth. Authenticity and Focus Win: Not every company needs "thought leadership marketing," but for relationship-driven businesses (like professional services), investing in personal brand credibility pays off. Authentic content that addresses your audience's pain points will resonate more than generic marketing. Speaking and Content Build Credibility: Consistent speaking engagements (conferences, podcasts) and content creation (articles, videos) help establish authority. Kelly advises starting with podcast interviews to refine your message. These low-cost opportunities help you practice answering questions and learn what resonates with your audience. Don't Fear Repetition: If you feel you've told your story a million times, remember it's likely brand new to each audience. Kelly reminds us not to get bored with our core message – your enthusiasm (or lack thereof) will transfer to listeners. Consistency and passion make your message powerful every time. Books Boost Authority (Strategically): Authoring a book (or working with a ghostwriter) can elevate your expert status – it's a credibility booster when you're on stage or pitching. But don't just publish and pray: use the book in your marketing strategy (speaking, social media, press) so it genuinely amplifies your reach. Face Your Fears: Personal growth is part of the thought leadership journey. Despite helping others get on stage, Kelly herself feared public speaking for years. She overcame that fear by pushing herself (100+ videos, frequent talks) – a reminder that stepping outside your comfort zone is often necessary to lead and inspire others. Sound bites Notable Quotes (for promotion): "For 20 years I was the 'person behind the person.' Being laid off pushed me to step out of the shadows and start my own company." "Even if you've given the same message a dozen times, for a brand new audience it's the first time they're hearing it. It's still a powerful message – don't get bored with it, or your audience will feel that too." "Getting on as many podcasts as you can early on really helps you refine your messaging and figure out what people are interested in." "It might be ironic, but I was terrified of public speaking – and I run a business around it! Facing that fear changed everything for me." "Not every company needs a 'thought leader' — but if your business runs on relationships, you'd better put a face to your brand."  References Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study – Research (2019) showing nearly 60% of decision-makers said strong thought leadership content led them to award business to a company (and 29% decided not to if content was poor). Two-Mile-High Marketing – Kelly Schuknecht's marketing agency focused on thought leadership (headquartered in Leadville, Colorado and named after Leadville's ~10,000 ft elevation, "two miles high"). "Personality Isn't Permanent" – A self-help book by organizational psychologist Benjamin Hardy. Kelly cited this book as a catalyst that encouraged her to face her fear of public speaking. Crissy Conner – Marketing strategist known as "The Visibility Queen." Mentioned in the episode as a former guest who overcame her on-camera fears by doing 100 live video broadcasts in one year. Memories Matter– A 2025 nonfiction book about caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer's, authored by Dawn Brenniman Wirtz. This book (written through Kelly's course) led to the first-time author being invited to speak at an Alzheimer's event and even a local news interview – an example of authentic content opening doors. Kelly Clarkson – Singer and TV personality. Referenced when Kelly mentioned an author sending Clarkson a book in hopes of a shout-out (part of a story about creative book promotion). Events FY26 Forward - Microsoft Partner Success Strategies - July 29. I'll be sitting down with our CEO Michelle Caldwell for a fireside chat about Microsoft's plans for its new fiscal year and how Microsoft partners can align for success. TechCon 365 Atlanta 2025 – A Microsoft 365 and Power Platform conference (held August 11–15, 2025 in Atlanta, GA). TechCon 365 Dallas 2025 – The Dallas edition of the TechCon 365 conference series (November 3–7, 2025 in Irving, TX). Microsoft Ignite 2025 – Microsoft's flagship annual tech conference (scheduled for November 18–21, 2025 in San Francisco, CA). ESPC25 – A major European Microsoft 365/Azure conference (December 1–4, 2025 in Dublin, Ireland). Production Polaris is produced with the help of our friends at Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe. Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Kelly Schuknecht and Two-Mile-High Marketing 01:10 News and Data Points 05:37 The Journey from Employee to Entrepreneur 07:34 Defining Marketing and Its Importance 10:06 Identifying Ideal Clients for Thought Leadership 12:37 Balancing Brand and Personal Marketing 14:48 Success Stories and Client Experiences 16:02 Navigating Speaking Engagements and Event Selection 17:55 Refining Messaging for Effective Speaking 20:02 Using Podcasting as a Tool for Growth 22:44 The Role of Book Publishing in Thought Leadership 26:17 Post-Publication Strategies for Authors 28:53 Future Plans for Two-Mile-High Marketing 30:24 Cultural Influences and Personal Growth 32:16 Closing Thoughts and Resources 33:11 Upcoming Events in Tech 34:16 Leadership Insights for Emerging Companies

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. In this episode of Polaris, Chris McNulty speaks with Crissy Conner, founder of the Visible CEO movement, about the complexities of developing leadership careers for women amidst gender bias. They discuss the importance of visibility, authenticity, and overcoming fear in order to succeed in leadership roles. Crissy shares her journey of becoming a visibility strategist and emphasizes the need for women to embrace their authentic selves to connect with their audiences. The conversation also touches on the challenges female leaders face, the significance of role models, and the strategies for refining visibility in business. Key Takeaways Visibility is Vital: Being visible and authentic as a leader isn't vanity – it's a business strategy. A strong personal brand builds trust and opens opportunities. In fact, 82% of people trust a company more when its leaders are active on social media, underscoring the value of showing up. Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Many leaders (nearly 70% of people) experience imposter feelings at some point. Crissy emphasizes that you're not alone – recognizing these doubts is the first step to overcoming them. She shares how to move past the "I'm not ready" mindset and step into the spotlight with confidence. From Introvert to Influencer: Crissy's own journey from being shy to becoming The Visible CEO illustrates that introversion is not a barrier to leadership or influence. Confidence comes from consistency – by regularly using your voice (in speaking, writing, or video), you can grow more comfortable and impactful. "Get Heard, Get Seen, Get Paid": Your expertise can't help anyone if no one knows about it. Crissy's mantra – get heard, get seen, get paid – reminds us that visibility directly contributes to business growth. She explains how showing up authentically attracts your "raving fans" and ideal clients, leading to increased influence and income. Irresistible Offers & Authentic Messaging: One key to visibility is having an offer and message that truly resonates. Crissy advises crafting "irresistible offers" – solutions so aligned with your audience's needs that they feel drawn to you. Clarity in your message (knowing exactly how you help and whom) makes it far easier to show up and speak out, because you know the value you provide. Multi-Channel Presence: Don't hide – engage on platforms where your audience spends time. Crissy encourages leveraging formats like live video, community groups, and consistent content to amplify your reach. By building a presence across channels (from LinkedIn to Instagram), you create more touchpoints to connect and establish trust. Empowering Women Leaders: They discuss the unique visibility challenges women often face in leadership. Crissy stresses that embracing your achievements and expertise is not bragging – it's owning your worth. By building a personal brand, women leaders can challenge stereotypes, inspire others, and gain the recognition they deserve. Notable Quotes (Crissy Conner) "Being the best-kept secret in your industry helps no one. Visibility is about service, not ego." "I used to be the quietest person in the room. Now I teach others: if you have a solution, you have a responsibility to let the world know." "Visibility isn't about shouting louder, it's about aligning your message with your audience's heart." "Confidence isn't an innate trait – it's a skill you build by consistently showing up, even when it's uncomfortable." References United Nations (UNDP) – Gender Social Norms Index 2023 Report Nearly 90% of people hold biases against women; half believe men make better leaders, reflecting stagnation in women's leadership roles over the past decade. Harvard Business Review – Why Women Don't Apply for Jobs Unless They're 100% Qualified Explores an internal Hewlett-Packard finding that men apply when they meet ~60% of job requirements, whereas women tend to apply only when they meet all the qualifications. Rob Dial – The Mindset Mentor Podcast Crissy references Rob Dial's challenge to spend 365 days doing something uncomfortable every day as a catalyst for personal and professional growth. The Visible CEO - Crissy Conner's official site and program hub for "The Visible CEO," where she offers resources and coaching to help entrepreneurs and leaders increase their visibility. Mel Robbins – "The Let Them Theory" A book/concept by Mel Robbins emphasizing that you should allow others to act as they will ("let them") and not let fear of others' opinions hold you back from showing up. Social Currency 82% of respondents trust a company more if the CEO and leadership engage on social media (emphasizing the trust gained through leader visibility). [Business Wire] Imposter Syndrome: 70% of people experience impostor feelings in their lives (context for our discussion on overcoming self-doubt).[Time] Events TechCon 365 Seattle - June 23-27, 2025  FY26 Forward - Microsoft Partner Success Strategies - July 29, 2025 (Teams Webinar). I'll be sitting down with our CEO Michelle Caldwell for a fireside chat about Microsoft's plans for its new fiscal year and how Microsoft partners can align for success. TechCon 365 Atlanta | August 11-15 at the Georgia World Congress Center. TechCon 365 Dallas - | November 3-7, 2025 (Dallas, TX). Irving Convention Center  Microsoft Ignite 2025 – Nov 17-21, 2025 (San Francisco, CA).  ESPC25  | Dec 1-4, 2025 (Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) Dublin, Ireland). Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Female Leadership and Visibility 01:35 News and Data Points 03:02 Introducing Crissy Conner 05:43 The Power of Uncomfortable Actions 08:37 Building the Visible CEO Movement 11:21 Challenges for Female Leaders 13:48 Transforming Visibility into Authenticity 17:04 Refining Personal Branding Strategies 19:56 Overcoming Fear and Building Confidence 22:48 Creating Impactful Content 25:33 The Role of Personality in Visibility 28:47 Final Thoughts and Resources 31:55 Upcoming Events 33:26 Closing

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. In this episode of Polaris, Chris McNulty speaks with Sean Squires, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, about the evolving landscape of software development, particularly in the realm of content management and AI. They discuss the challenges posed by the massive data explosion, the role of AI in enhancing content findability, and the importance of customer empathy in product management. Sean shares insights into the balance between creating minimally viable products and those that are lovable, as well as the impact of AI on product development processes. The conversation also touches on the cultural aspects of technology and personal reflections on creativity and inspiration. Polaris is produced with the help of our friends at Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Quotes "Customer empathy is the cornerstone of building a good product." – Sean Squires "A minimum viable product must quickly become a minimum lovable product." – Sean Squires "Whenever we build a feature, we ask: where's the magical moment for the user?" – Sean Squires "Some of the best ideas I've seen come directly from customers and the community." – Sean Squires  References Data and Business IDC estimates 175 zettabytes of data worldwide by 2025, with ~80% of it unstructured and 90% of unstructured data never analyzed – Global Intelligent Document Processing market size growing from $1.1B (2022) to $5.2B by 2027 at 37.5% Major League Baseball – ~63% of surveyed MLB players do not want robot umpires (Automated Ball-Strike system), preferring the human element – https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25204707-mlb-pitcher-says-potential-abs-robot-umpire-rule-change-would-ruin-baseball Henry Ford's "faster horse" quote – "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse." (Often attributed to Ford to illustrate innovation beyond customer requests; actual origin is apocryphal) – https://quoteinvestigator.com/2011/07/28/ford-faster-horse/ Steven Sinofsky – "Learning by Shipping" – Blog by former Microsoft Windows president Steven Sinofsky, discussing tech, management, and strategies (includes commentary on AI and product development) – https://learningbyshipping.com/ "Unsolicited Feedback" podcast – A weekly product & growth podcast by Reforge, featuring candid discussions between product leaders on recent tech trends and product decisions – https://www.reforge.com/podcast/unsolicited-feedback Google NotebookLM – An AI-powered research and note-taking tool by Google that can summarize documents and even generate podcast-like audio discussions from your notes (an experimental project formerly known as Project Tailwind) – https://notebooklm.google/ ModuleQ – An "People-Facing AI" startup founded by David Brunner, which integrates with Microsoft Teams to deliver personalized, proactive insights to professionals (example of AI in enterprise workflow) – https://www.moduleq.com/ Pop Culture "The Pitt" – The Pitt (2025) is a new medical drama TV series set in a Pittsburgh trauma hospital's ER, noted for its realistic portrayal of medical staff and intense single-shift story structure (starring Noah Wyle) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pitt "A Day in the Life" – Iconic 1967 song by The Beatles (from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band), known for its elaborate production – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADayintheLife Sir George Martin – Renowned record producer for The Beatles, often called "the Fifth Beatle" for shaping their sound – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Martin Irving Berlin's transposing piano – Songwriter Irving Berlin used a custom piano with a transposing lever so he could play in one key (F#) and the piano would shift the pitch, allowing him to accompany in any key – https://www.straightdope.com/21343780/if-irving-berlin-couldn-t-read-or-write-music-how-did-he-compose The Ministry of Time (novel) – The Ministry of Time is a 2024 science fiction novel by Kaliane Bradley, exploring time travel and identity. It gained attention as one of Barack Obama's recommended summer reads in 2024 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheMinistryofTime(novel) Leon (Leon Bridges album) – Leon (released October 2024) is the fourth studio album by R&B/soul artist Leon Bridges. The album blends retro soul with folk and country influences and has received positive reviews for its storytelling and style – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon(LeonBridges_album) The Intrazone podcast – The Intrazone is a Microsoft 365 podcast (hosted by Mark Kashman and oft-co-hosted by Chris McNulty) that ran from 2018–2025, covering SharePoint and Microsoft 365 topics. (It announced a pause after 220+ episodes in mid-2025) – https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/36825055 Events Business Strategy Master Class | June 17, 2025 (Teams Online) Synozur's own Matt Shaffer will present our new master class on how to develop and sustain business strategy with the Synozur Company OS.  https://aka.synozur.com/strategy-masterclass TechCon 365 Seattle | June 23-27, 2025 (Seattle Convention Center) FY26 Forward - Microsoft Partner Success Strategies - July 29, 2025. A fireside chat about Microsoft's plans for its new fiscal year and how partners can align for success. TechCon 365 Atlanta | August 11-15 at the Georgia World Congress Center. TechCon 365 Dallas - | November 3-7, 2025 (Dallas, TX). Irving Convention Center Microsoft Ignite 2025 – Nov 17-21, 2025 (San Francisco, CA).  ESPC25 (European SharePoint Conference 2025) | Dec 1-4, 2025 (Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) Dublin, Ireland).  Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Sean Squires and His Role at Microsoft 06:53 The Role of a Product Manager 09:18 A Day in the Life of a Product Manager 12:25 Navigating Product Development Challenges 15:29 The Balance Between MVP and MLP 18:02 Creating Delightful User Experiences 21:07 Customer Needs vs. Innovative Solutions 24:15 The Importance of Customer Feedback 27:11 Working with Familiar vs. New Tech Stacks 30:02 AI's Impact on Product Development 32:34 Staying Inspired in Product Management 38:58 Introduction to Upcoming Events 40:27 Reflections on Podcasting and Future Directions

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. Summary In this conversation, Chris McNulty and David Wilhelm discuss the challenges of AI adoption in enterprises, emphasizing the importance of training and expertise. They explore the evolution of TechCon 365, highlighting the benefits of mid-sized tech events, community engagement, and the diversity of attendees. The discussion also covers the direct engagement opportunities available at these events and the upcoming plans for future conferences. Sound Bites "At a 600-person event, you're not just a number – attendees feel seen and heard." — David Wilhelm "As Microsoft's world grows, our community grows with it. We just give them more to explore at each event." — David Wilhelm "Not everyone can fly to Vegas or SF for a mega-conference. Regional events open the door for folks who'd be left out otherwise." — David Wilhelm "A conference isn't just sessions. Like a great local restaurant, it can become a place where everybody knows your name." — David Wilhelm References News and Data Points Gartner (July 27, 2023) – Press release reporting that 52% of organizations say risk factors are a critical consideration when evaluating new AI projects. https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-07-27-gartner-survey-finds-55-of-organizations-that-have-deployed-ai-take-an-ai-first-strategy-with-new-use-cases IBM (Jan 10, 2024) – IBM Global AI Adoption Index 2023 research found limited AI skills and expertise is the top barrier to AI adoption (~33% of enterprises cite this). https://newsroom.ibm.com/2024-01-10-Data-Suggests-Growth-in-Enterprise-Adoption-of-AI-is-Due-to-Widespread-Deployment-by-Early-Adopters SS&C Blue Prism (Mar 28, 2025) – Global survey of business leaders: 35% cite lack of AI skills/expertise as a major barrier to adopting AI (tied for #1 barrier). https://www.blueprism.com/resources/blog/ai-agentic-agents-survey-statistics/ Microsoft Global Community Initiative (MGCI) – Microsoft's program to support community-led events worldwide (e.g., Community Days). https://adoption.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-global-community-initiative/ Social: David Wilhelm | LinkedIn Pop Culture Chef's Table (Netflix series) – Documentary series showcasing world-class chefs; referenced as an analogy for community building. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chef%27s_Table Cheers (TV sitcom) – 1980s sitcom set in a bar "where everybody knows your name"; referenced to describe a welcoming community vibe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheers The Bear (FX/Hulu series) – TV series about a Chicago restaurant, popularized the phrase "Yes, chef." Referenced humorously in the episode. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bear_(TV_series) Events Mastering Your AI Rollout: Success Strategies | June 12, 2025 (TribalHub Online) Business Strategy Master Class | June 17, 2025 (Teams Online) TechCon 365 Seattle | June 23-27, 2025  (Seattle Convention Center) FY26 Forward - Microsoft Partner Success Strategies - July 29 (Teams Webinar) TechCon 365 Atlanta | August 11-15 (Georgia World Congress Cente)r. TechCon 365 Dallas - | November 3-7, 2025 (Irving Convention Center) Microsoft Ignite 2025 – Nov 17-21, 2025 (San Francisco, CA).  ESPC25 | December 1-4, 2025 (Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) Ireland) Fabric Community Conference (FabCon) – Microsoft Fabric Community Conference (upcoming event focusing on Microsoft Fabric and data/A.I.). https://fabricconf.com Production Polaris is produced with the help of our friends at Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to David Wilhelm and Tech Conferences 04:12 The Evolution of Tech Conferences 07:32 Transitioning from SharePoint to Microsoft 365 11:51 The Benefits of Mid-Sized Events 15:25 Diversity and Accessibility in Tech Events 18:29 Engagement Opportunities for First-Time Attendees 21:37 Upcoming Events and Future Plans 24:43 Community Building Through Food and Events 26:44 Staying Connected with David Wilhelm 27:40 Conclusion

Generative AI is reshaping the business world by accelerating sales and customer engagement. In this episode of Polaris, Zack Zeller shares how thought leadership and engaging content can fuel the AI-powered revenue flywheel. From practical frameworks to emotional resonance in marketing, Zack explores how AI can amplify authenticity, streamline content creation, and drive meaningful business outcomes. 📌 Key Takeaways AI as a Catalyst: AI is not just a tool—it's a catalyst for deeper customer connections and more efficient marketing systems. The Revenue Flywheel: Thought leadership and personalized content can accelerate the sales cycle and deepen engagement. Authenticity Wins: In a sea of generic AI content, uniqueness and personality are key to standing out. AI as Actor, Not Expert: Zack likens AI to an actor—it performs best when given strong direction and context. Voice-Driven Campaigns: With the right prompts, a voice note can be transformed into a full marketing campaign. Books as Brand Builders: Long-form content like books helps establish credibility and deepen trust. Misconceptions About AI: Many overestimate AI's capabilities; success depends on specificity, iteration, and context. Marketing Systems Over Funnels: Zack emphasizes building holistic systems over isolated conversion tactics. 🧠 Soundbites from Zack "Generative AI isn't just a tool—it's a catalyst for deeper customer connections." "The revenue flywheel powered by AI is revolutionizing how businesses think about growth." "Every piece of thought leadership today can be amplified with AI, driving real results." "AI bridges the gap between efficiency and engagement, unlocking new possibilities for sales." "If you don't have uniqueness, you're just warming up your audience to buy from your competition." "Procrastinate on the right stuff—focus on one thing that pierces the market." References  About Zack Zeller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackzeller22 Free Gift at FixYourList.com Research AI in Sales: According to a recent report by Gartner, 75% of B2B sales organizations will augment traditional sales playbooks with AI-based guidance by the end of the year. Gartner Predicts 75% of B2B Sales Organizations Will Augment Traditional Sales Playbooks with AI-Guided Selling Solutions By 2025 Microsoft, the AI powerhouse, is also addressing this trend. In March, they announced two new agents. Sales Agent works autonomously to expand pipeline, engage customers, and even complete a sale, while Sales Chat can help guide revenue teams to the next best action. Finally they've introduced a new AI accelerator to drive CRM system migration and help with adoption. New sales agents accessible in Microsoft 365 Copilot help teams close more deals, faster | Microsoft 365 Blog Content Marketing: A study by Forbes highlights that 70% of marketers are actively investing in content marketing, with a focus on creating high-quality, engaging content to attract and retain customers. Top Content Marketing Statistics – Forbes Advisor Other Poe - AI Chat Primal (Adult Swim) from Genndy Tartakovsky Andy Warhol's Soup Cans from the Museum of Modern Art, New York The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement Book Summary by Eliyahu M. Goldratt  Events European Collaboration Summit | May 26-28, 2025 (Düsseldorf, Germany) Mastering Your AI Rollout: Success Strategies | June 12, 2025 (TribalHub Online) Business Strategy Master Class | June 17, 2025 (Teams Online) TechCon 365 Seattle | June 23-27, 2025 (Seattle Convention Center) Production Polaris is produced with the help of our friends at Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. Chapters 00:02 – Introduction: Generative AI and the Revenue Flywheel 03:04 – Meet Zack Zeller: From College Hustle to AI Marketing Expert 05:00 – Post-Pandemic Economics and the Rise of Precision Marketing 07:22 – AI's Role in Reach, Engagement, and Conversion 09:41 – Breaking the Pattern: Authenticity in AI Content 12:11 – Conversion and the Emotional Side of Sales 14:07 – Tools and Tactics: Using AI to Support Sales Agents 17:19 – Visual AI: Spotting the Real from the Rendered 19:26 – Case Study: AI-Assisted Book Creation with Richard Vanderbloom 21:00 – Why Thought Leaders Should Write Books 24:28 – Zack's 3-Step Framework: Facts, Thesis, Mechanism 26:05 – Finding Your Voice and Market Entry Point 27:43 – AI Misconceptions and the Importance of Context 29:43 – Voice Notes to Campaigns: Zack's Prompting Strategy 32:02 – Future of AI in Marketing: Systems Thinking 36:23 – Pop Culture Pick: "Primal" and the Power of Wordless Storytelling 38:36 – Connect with Zack: LinkedIn and FixYourList.com

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. Summary In this episode of Polaris, Mark Kashman and Chris McNulty explore the evolution of the Microsoft 365 community, emphasizing the importance of personal engagement. They discuss the role of internal advocates in technology adoption, the excitement surrounding new features, and the value of the TechCommunity. The conversation also touches on automation, collaboration, and the significance of events like the Microsoft 365 Community Conference, highlighting the joy of audience interaction during AMAs and the cultural insights gained through personal growth. References Microsoft and the Community Community Days.org is the home to find or create on of the dozens of Microsoft community events held around the world every year. You can always join the Microsoft Tech Community here. Mark Kashman LinkedIn X/Twitter The KashBox on Substack Mark is also an author of many children's books, also available on Amazon. Pop Culture Mark Kashman is a fan of Frederik Backman, the prolific Swedish author perhaps best know for A man Called Ove, also made into the Tom Hanks film A Man Called Otto Smartless is the podcast voice of Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, who have not yet been guests on Polaris. Events Microsoft 365 Community Conference | May 5-8, 2025 (MGM Grand, Las Vegas) Microsoft Build  | May 19-22 (Seattle Convention Center) European Collaboration Summit | May 26-28, 2025 (Düsseldorf, Germany) Mastering Your AI Rollout: Success Strategies | June 12, 2025 (TribalHub Online) Business Strategy Master Class | June 17, 2025 (Teams Online) TechCon 365 Seattle |  June 23-27, 2025 (Seattle Convention Center) Production Polaris is produced with the help of our friends at Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe. Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Takeaways Mark Kashman has been with SharePoint for over a decade. Community engagement is crucial for technology adoption. Understanding when to use specific tools is essential. Internal advocates play a vital role in technology adoption. The TechCommunity provides a platform for engagement and feedback. Sound Bites "If we can get a good ear to that evangelist who isn't just an MVP, but maybe is to hopefully scale through thousands or hundreds of people within their organization. That's where we really focus on." "Business should ensure that [advocates] have a seat at the table. They should know the direction of the business. What are we trying to accomplish? What tools do we have? They'll be able to provide guidance, they can be that internal trusted advisor." What makes a customer exec take notice of new technology?  "A big one is around what can you do inside of Microsoft Teams?" Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Mark Kashman 08:21 Mark's Role at Microsoft 11:27 Navigating Microsoft 365 Tools 17:16 Understanding Task Management Tools 20:35 Engaging with Microsoft Customers 23:45 Empowering Internal Advocates 25:31 Exciting Tools in Executive Briefings 29:59 Exploring the Tech Community 31:56 Practical Insights for Tech Users 36:05 Automation and Rules in Microsoft 365 38:41 Sports and Community Engagement 41:11 Microsoft 365 Community Conference Overview 47:24 The Joy of AMAs and Audience Engagement 51:13 Cultural Reflections and Book Recommendations 56:29 Upcoming Tech Events and Conferences 58:35 The Importance of Community in Technology 58:42 Reflections 01:00:53 Reflections and Closing Thoughts  

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. In this episode of Polaris, Chris McNulty engages with Dr. John Hillen, author of 'The Strategy Dialogues', to explore the complexities of business strategy. They discuss the common misunderstandings surrounding strategy, the importance of dialogue in strategy development, and how to bring strategic thinking into everyday business practices. Dr. Hillen emphasizes the need for clear definitions of strategy, the distinction between strategic planning and thinking, and the critical questions organizations should ask to define their strategic direction. The conversation also touches on the significance of values, the role of networking in strategic relationships, and innovative approaches like blue ocean strategy. Finally, they address the pitfalls of annual strategy cycles and the importance of measuring strategic success. Dr. John Hillen is a versatile leader with an impressive background spanning business, government, the military, and academia. As a CEO, Board Chairman, and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, he's navigated complex strategic landscapes and shared his insights through teaching at notable institutions like Duke University and George Mason University. An author of several influential books, including 'What Happens Now? Reinvent Yourself as a Leader Before Your Business Outruns You,' Dr. Hillen has also contributed to prestigious publications such as Forbes and The New York Times.  He also holds two masters' degrees, a Ph. D from Oxford, and a Fulbright Scholarship. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks. References Interview Notes  Our guest, Dr. John Hillen, is the author of The Strategy Dialogues. You can get in touch with him through his website, JohnHillen,com Andrew Ross Sorkin also used narrative dialogue to tell the story of the 2008 financial crisis in Too Big to Fail "The undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller returns." – William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 3 Scene 1. – see AllGreatQuotes.com Norm Augustine, Lockheed Martin CEO, looked at the business implication of Shakespeare's work in Shakespeare in Charge: The Bard's Guide to Leading and Succeeding on the Business Stage Lee Iacocca thought about the minivan at Ford, but made it a reality at Chrysler in 1983 - The History of the Minivan – Smithsonian Magazine 2013 Cirque du Soleil is known for their global stage shows and traveling performances – learn more about their origin at How Cirque Du Soleil's Strategy Reinvented The Circus (Instrategia) Heidi Roisen is legendary for making strategic leadership networks through Silicon Valley. Statistics and Data Points According to a survey conducted by Forbes Coaches Council, 90% of respondents believe a strategy is necessary to carry out business activities. But only 14% of executives indicated they had fulfilled their strategic plan from the prior year. [Source: The Importance Of Strategic Planning For Business Success, Forbes] Based on a study by ClearPoint, 80% of leaders feel their company is good at crafting strategy, but only 44% feel they are good at implementation. [Source: 50+ Strategic Planning Stats: Boost Your Strategy Success – ClearPoint] Pop Culture The Lord of the Rings (film series) - Wikipedia The Godfather (1972) - IMDb The Lord of the Rings (film series) - Wikipedia Slow Horses Succession – won six Emmys in 2024 to bring its t9tal to 19. - How Many Emmys Did Succession Win in 2024? - Parade Events Microsoft 365 Community Conference | May 5-8, 2025 (Vegas) Microsoft Build | May 19-22 (Seattle Convention Center) European Collaboration Summit | May 26-28, 2025 (Düsseldorf, Germany) Mastering Your AI Rollout: Success Strategies | June 12, 2025 (TribalHub Online) TechCon 365 Seattle - June 23-27, 2025 Takeaways Strategy is often misunderstood and misapplied in organizations. Dialogue is a powerful tool for developing and understanding strategy. Strategic planning is not the same as strategic thinking. Key questions like 'What is our winning aspiration?' are essential for effective strategy. Building strategic thinking skills is vital for leaders and organizations. Networking and relationships are integral to successful strategic leadership. Blue ocean strategy encourages companies to seek untapped markets. Avoiding the annual strategy trap requires continuous measurement and adaptation. Sound Bites "I think the A question in strategy is not what to do, but what do we not do? What do we not spend?" "Trying to see patterns emerging in the future...because the future rarely follows a perfectly linear path...[is what] strategic thinking really is versus  the annual corporate budgeting drill is. That's the number one reason why I see people resisting...true strategic thinking and planning." "Everybody's got the strategic thinking muscle, even though only a small percentage ... naturally think strategically, but everybody can build that muscle." "[On strategic networking] If you wait until you need a [strategic] relationship, it's too late to form it." "[Blue Ocean Strategy] Instead of seeking out the most competitive environment where everybody's fighting for the customers and the ocean is red from all the blood in the water, go to where the customers ain't, but you could provide a value proposition that could draw new customers there." "Let's go where the enemy ain't." Production Polaris is produced with the help of our friends at Riverside.fm. Our theme song, "Alternative Dream" is provided courtesy of Adobe.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley.     Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dr. John Hillen 04:25 Introducing Dr. John Hillen 07:00 The Strategy Dialogues: A Narrative Approach 11:29 Bringing Strategy Down to Earth 15:24 Defining Strategy vs. Goals 18:10 Key Questions for Strategic Thinking 21:24 Success in Strategy: The IKEA Example 24:33 Cultivating Strategic Thinking Skills 29:14 The Power of Networking in Leadership 34:28 Understanding Blue Ocean Strategy 44:08 Avoiding Common Strategic Pitfalls 45:57 Cultural Reflections and Personal Insights 49:47 Staying in Touch 50:57 Upcoming Events 53:04 Wrap-Up and Acknowledgments