In this episode, the meet with Eric Leeger and discuss his background in the Dynamics space and his role as a niche-focused boutique staffing firm owner. They also explore the trends in the Dynamics job market, including the high demand for functional consultants and the slowdown in developer roles. They touch on the impact of AI on recruitment and the potential for AI to streamline development processes.  

Connect with Eric on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-legeer-01ba81165  

Looking for a job?  Reach out to Dynamics Door: https://dynamicsdoor.com/  

Takeaways 

Eden Wilson, Founder of Lemonerdy, is a visionary, young entrepreneur and joins us on the podcast this week to talk about her company, Lemonerdy, her love of lemons, and pineapple on pizza. She started the company when she was in 6th grade and launched her YouTube channel in 8th grade to begin teaching younger people about Scratch and introduce them to the world of coding.  

Show Notes: 

Learn more about Eden’s company, Lemonerdy, that she started when she was in 8th grade: https://lemonerdy.com/web/  

Follow Lemonerdy on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/lemonerdy  

Eden became a certified Scrum Master – see what that means and learn how to become one: https://www.scrumalliance.org/get-certified/scrum-master-track/certified-scrummaster 

Another certification mentioned is a Certified Product Owner: https://www.scrumalliance.org/get-certified/product-owner-track/certified-scrum-product-owner  

Explore Scratch to learn how block-based coding can help develop games quickly: https://scratch.mit.edu/ 

Scratch Jr. Can be used by younger kids to begin learning how to code by using block-based coding: https://www.scratchjr.org/  

Eden’s all-time favorite book is Sway with Me: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57370401-sway-with-me  

Eden’s favorite game on PlayStation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LittleBigPlanet  

Microsoft Student Ambassador Program: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/student-hub/become-a-student-ambassador  

Did you catch the Rhythmic Gymnastics during the Olympics?  Eden is also a Rhythmic Gymnast!  https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/sports/rhythmic-gymnastics  

Julie Yack joins Dynamics Hotdish this week to chat about a new training program she’s championing for skilling up Ukrainians on Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. Julie is an expert in training on Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform so we also discuss some training tips and tricks in this episode, along with several resources to help you level up your training. You’ll also find out some fun facts about Julie, like how she’s been to over 80 countries!  

This episode was recorded on-site at DynamicsCon LIVE. If you’re interested in attending next year, keep an eye on their website: https://live.dynamicscon.com/. There’s also a FREE virtual event this fall (https://dynamicscon.com/), and tons of local user groups you can join.  

Connect with Julie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieyack 

Need help with implementation of a Microsoft product or training? Reach out to Julie’s company Colorado Technology Consultants: https://www.coloradotc.com/ 

Learn more about Julie’s company focused on training on Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform: https://365.training/ 

Tips on Training: 

Dynamics 365 and Power Platform Training for Ukrainians: 

Learn more about Microsoft’s AI Builder tool: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/ai-builder/overview 

If you’re looking to learn more about how to work in the Microsoft Business Applications space, or what it would be like to be a consultant, check out the Microsoft Business Applications Skilling program: aka.ms/bapskilling  

For even more information about getting a career in Dynamics 365 or the Power Platform, look at the Microsoft Power Up Program: https://powerup.microsoft.com/  

The Pivot Program was started to help others transition into a career in technology. Looking to switch? Check it out! https://www.thepivotprogram.org/  

If you’re in Europe or want to travel to Europe for a fantastic, newer Dynamics 365 conference, check out Dynamics Minds! https://www.dynamicsminds.com/   

What’s Julie’s favorite hotdish?  She doesn’t have one because she LOVES food!  That’s our kinda of lady! 

If you want to travel the world virtually, check out Airbnb’s Online Experiences: https://www.airbnb.com/s/experiences  

Liz and Ali chat with some graduates from the TechFluent training program about their experiences at DynamicsCon LIVE 2024. You’ll get advice on what you should (and shouldn’t do) at Dynamics and Power Platform conferences, and you’ll hear what to expect. This episode features interviews with Christabell Tita, Tafessech Beyene, Phil Mahuwe, Erika Romero, Maryam Umar, and Siham Said. 

Learn how you can contribute to or participate in TechFluent: https://www.techfluentacademy.org/  

Interested in attending DynamicsCon LIVE next year? Check out the agenda from 2024: https://live.dynamicscon.com/  

Find your local Dynamics community through Dynamics User Group: https://www.meetup.com/pro/dynamics/ 

Find Yulia Kuklina’s blog post that was mentioned in this episode about things she’s learned as a consultant: https://dynamicscommunities.com/news/embarking-on-a-new-chapter-my-journey-as-a-microsoft-dynamics-consultant/ 

Advice for attending your first conference: 

Tune into this special guest episode with Anne Krupke, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft to learn about all things F&SCM.

Connect with Anne Krupke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annekrupke/

This show was recorded on site at DynamicsCon LIVE in

Find out about the Dynamics 365 ERP Solutions: https://dynamics.microsoft.com/en-us/erp/enterprise-resource-planning-system/

What is Dynamics 365 Finance?  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365/products/finance

What is Dynamics 365 Supply Chain? https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365/products/supply-chain-management

The Dynamics 365 Demand Planning model-driven app is

Get started with model-driven apps on the Power

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Learn more about our podcast here:

Begin your exploration of CRM and ERP integration with the first episode of our engaging 3-part series, offering invaluable insights for business leaders and analysts alike. Gain valuable insights into essential tools such as Dual-Write in Finance & Supply Chain and also the innovative Dataverse Connector. Tune in to learn the significance of CRM and ERP integration.

This episode features special guest Dan Fine from the Ukrainian War Animals Relief Fund (UWARF) where we discuss how the Power Platform and Dynamics 365 has enabled their efforts. UWARF is a non-profit organization that partners with veterinarians, nonprofits, and animal shelters in Ukraine. They organize missions to the region and facilitate clinics to sterilize, vaccinate, and microchip dogs and cats. They also focus on reuniting, rehoming, and sheltering the abandoned animals.

CONTENT WARNING: Sensitive content about danger to animals and people during the war in Ukraine is discussed during this episode and may be harmful or triggering to some viewers.

Dynamics 365 first party apps (Sales, Customer Service, Field Service, etc.) offer robust functionality to optimize your business. In this episode we chat about what if you're a small business and you don't need ALL of that or what if your process is entirely different and it doesn't fit into one of those classic CRM functionality scenarios? Tune in to learn about the considerations when deciding between a Microsoft Dynamics 365 First Party App vs. building your own Power App!

The Power Platform has been gaining popularity by organizations around the world because of its "low-code" capabilities. This means that both developers and non-developers alike can leverage its capabilities to build automations and custom applications. Listen to this episode to learn about Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Power Pages, and Power Virtual Agents (now known as Copilot Studio).