The Intelligence Age

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This episode explores how AI is transforming hiring, reducing bias, and helping businesses reliably identify A players. Fletcher Wimbush shares practical steps for using AI to streamline job analysis, screening, assessments, and onboarding, giving small and mid sized businesses access to talent strategies once reserved for large enterprises. 

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/786     

🎙️ What you’ll learn  

• How AI accelerates fact driven hiring 
• How CEOs can attract top talent through direct outreach 
• How to design effective screener questions with AI 
• How assessments surface high potential candidates 
• How AI enabled systems cut time to offer 

✅ Highlights 

• "It starts with having a great team." 
• "AI came along and we were able to take that entire process and accelerate the timeframe." 
• "A lot of hiring can be done almost completely on automatic using AI." 
• "AI is way less biased than the human." 
• "Ask some really well worded multiple choice questions that AI created for us." 
• "It eliminated 90 percent of those applicants right off the bat because they've self selected." 
• "Assessments do a phenomenal job of bringing the people with the right integrity and behavioural makeup to the surface." 
• "I almost never hire anybody with direct experience." 
• "We built the system from an AI lens." 
• "We onboard folks and get them up and running almost instantly." 
• "Hiring is mostly going to be automated in the next five years." 
• "The people who really embrace that are going to be the architects driving results." 

🧰 Mentioned 

• The FACT Driven Hiring System eLearning Course - https://discovered.ai/hiring-academy/  
• Discovered - https://www.discovered.ai 
• Y Combinator -  https://www.ycombinator.com
• Hiring Expert GPT - https://chatgpt.com/g/g-ves0BxHrx-hiring-expert

✅Keywords 
ai hiring, recruitment, assessments, a players, smb hiring, job analysis, screening, onboarding, bias reduction, automation, talent strategy, ceo outreach 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 
 
This episode explores practical ways to lift the quality of hybrid work through better tools, clearer communication, and smarter use of AI. Neil Fluester shares insights from years in unified communications, including how Copilot is evolving from a task engine to an enhancement engine, why peripheral design matters for productivity, and how thoughtful setups, from webcams to lighting to teleprompters, shape human connection in meetings. 

🎙️ Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/785

👉 What you’ll learn    

• How to move from basic Copilot prompts to agentic, enhancement-focused workflows 
• How hardware design influences productivity and meeting presence 
• How speaker attribution, transcription and translation are reshaping collaboration 
• How to improve video quality with simple upgrades to lighting, cameras and placement 
• How home automation and monitoring can streamline daily routines 

✅ Highlights    

• “I use it as a bit of a do engine. Copilot, do this for me, Copilot, do that for me.” “I’m trying to cross the chasm to where we move from that just getting it to do stuff to enhance me.” 
• “The translation stuff is just blows my mind.” 
• “You can kind of opt in and train it and teach it your linguistic style and your tone.” 
• “It’s garbage in, garbage out.” 
• “You wouldn’t leave the house looking terrible, so why would you turn up to the meeting looking terrible?” 
• “Stop sucking on the way you look.” 
• “Any free power is free power at the end of the day.” 
• “Lithium iron phosphate is the new chemistry that everyone sort of loves because it’s super safe.” 
• “You can knock up a large amount of kilowatt storage now.” 

🧰 Mentioned      

• Microsoft Teams - https://teams.microsoft.com 
• Copilot - https://copilot.microsoft.com 
• Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 

✅ Keywords     
copilot, teams, logitech, webcams, teleprompter, ai, video quality, home assistant, automation, translation, transcription, unified communications 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 
 
This episode explores how professionals in the Power Platform and Dynamics space can future‑proof their careers. Sarah Jones and Franco Musso share practical guidance on contracting, freelancing, niching, personal brand development, and navigating rapid change driven by AI. Their insights focus on building career security, creating flexibility, and designing work that supports long‑term growth. 

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/784 

🎙️ What you’ll learn   

• How to transition from permanent roles to contracting and freelancing 
• How to design a flexible work model that supports income and lifestyle goals 
• How to build a personal brand that attracts clients 
• How to niche effectively to strengthen positioning 
• How AI and market shifts are reshaping job security and opportunity 

✅ Highlights 

• “You're expected to be with the same customer Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.” 
• “I designed my work year. I can dictate what my day looks like.” 
• “That freedom is quite special.” 
• “It's about the value that you put on walking the kids to school together.” 
• “It's whatever you choose it to be.” 
• “People in permanent jobs are scared to leave their permanent job that they feel is secure.” 
• “If you've got the chance now to get involved with the change, then do it.” 
• “There's a powerful but limited window now for people in the business that are interested in the tech.” 
• “You could be the absolute superstar in accounting AI.” 
• “Selling to an existing customer is said to be 7 times cheaper.” 
• “This gives 6 to 12 months runway for those people who might be thinking about it.” 
• “The phenomenon of AI is coming.” 

🧰 Mentioned 

• Microsoft Power Platform https://powerplatform.microsoft.com/ 
• Dynamics 365 https://dynamics.microsoft.com/ 
• Power Pages https://powerpages.microsoft.com/ 
• Scottish Summit https://scottishsummit.com/ 

✅Keywords   
power platform, dynamics 365, freelancing, contracting, ai, job security, personal brand, niching, career change, Microsoft, power pages, mentoring 

If this episode has you thinking about where your Microsoft career is heading, use the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge Career Direction Check to assess six foundations of career momentum and choose one practical next action.

Check your career direction: https://m1.nz/90dmc-pod-784

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 
 
This episode explores how organisations can advance AI capability by shifting from siloed, linear thinking to ecosystem thinking. Barbara Wittmann outlines why many AI initiatives fail, how mindset transformation enables responsible adoption and where real innovation begins inside an organisation. She explains the role of the middle, why data foundations matter and how ethical leadership can guide sustainable AI-driven change. 

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/783    

🎙️ What you’ll learn  

• How to identify AI use cases that align with real business strategy 
• How mindset training supports sustainable AI transformation 
• How to build cross departmental ecosystems that accelerate innovation 
• How to move proofs of concept into production with stronger data baselines 
• How to lead ethically during AI driven organisational change 

✅ Highlights 

• “What in the world are we doing with AI?” 
• “Everyone is stuck on really making it work.” 
• “We go in with a workshop called Mindset Before Machines.” 
• “People want to fix their pressing issues without going to the root cause.” 
• “We need to start thinking in constant innovation cycles.” 
• “You cannot delegate complexity anymore.” 
• “Technology is part of your DNA, not a side piece.” 
• “AI implementation is essentially a very human problem.” 
• “Values are grounding to us.” 
• “Ethical transformation calls for wisdom in leadership.” 
• “You have to understand the problem before you move to the next step.” 
• “It is the miracle drug, the snake oil in the pioneer days.” 

🧰 Mentioned 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarawittmann/ 
• Digital Wisdom Collective: https://www.digitalwisdomcollective.com/mindset-before-machines 
• Substack: https://digitalwisdomcollective.substack.com/  
• Company Website: https://www.digitalwisdomcollective.com/ 

✅Keywords 
ai adoption, leadership, organisational change, ecosystems, mindset, data quality, innovation, proofs of concept, ethical transformation, productivity, strategy, silos 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 

The episode explores how Chris Stegh sees organisations balancing AI adoption with data security, governance and practical risk management. It covers the real barriers to scaling AI, why perfect data hygiene is unrealistic, and how leaders can use tools like Copilot, Purview and agentic AI to create safe, high‑value use cases while improving long‑term resilience.

🎙️ Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/782  

👉 What you’ll learn      

• How AI adoption is shaped by data security, quality and internal risk 
• How to evaluate AI ROI beyond individual productivity gains 
• How agentic AI supports secure, targeted use cases 
• How Zero Trust thinking guides safer AI rollout 
• How enterprise and SMB adoption patterns differ 

✅ Highlights     

• “Data security is top of everyone’s mind.” 
• “There hasn’t been a front page news article about data overexposure.” 
• “AI is a long journey and we are just getting started.” 
• “They’ll try to clamp down on Shadow AI.” 
• “No one wants to clean up their data.” 
• “Agents can give the good, real content front page.” 
• “Everyone wants to evaluate payback period.” 
• “Look at the end to end business process.” 
• “Small and mediums are going to lag in those spaces.” 
• “Some customers said we don’t see the use.” 

🧰 Mentioned      

• Microsoft Copilot: https://copilot.microsoft.com/ 
• Microsoft Purview: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/microsoft-purview 
• OpenAI: https://www.openai.com 
• Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 
• Chris' book on GenAI in the enterprise - Elevate The Enterprise Using Microsoft 365 Copilot: A Guide for Power Users, CxOs, and IT Pros - https://www.amazon.com/Elevate-Enterprise-Using-Copilot-Microsoft/dp/B0D6PZ539W 

✅ Keywords    
ai adoption, data security, governance, copilot, purview, shadow ai, agentic ai, zero trust, productivity, smb, enterprise, risk management 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 

How frontier firms rethink processes with AI, not bolt it on. Samuel Boulanger shares practical ways to drive Copilot adoption: educate, empower champions, and start from scratch to redesign workflows. He shows how agents and workflow automation unlock meaningful ROI, and why applied, hands‑on skill beats theory. Clear guidance for tech pros: use it everywhere, iterate fast, and let the people closest to the work surface the highest‑impact use cases. 

🎙️ Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/781

👉 What you’ll learn    

• Identify and prioritise AI use cases by empowering teams closest to the work 
• Structure prompt‑a‑thons to accelerate applied skill and adoption 
• Redesign processes for agents and automation rather than “bolting on” AI 
• Build bottom‑up Copilot champions and top‑down executive support 
• Integrate Copilot across daily workflows to lift quality, speed, and ROI

✅ Highlights   

• “You need to really put your hands on it and understand how it works.” 
• “The biggest blocker right now to adoption is education.” 
• “Being a frontier firm is applying to any kind of organisation.” 
• “Start from scratch and say, what’s your goal? Now let’s do it with AI.” 
• “Agents can collaborate with your team as well.” 
• “Let your people envision it… they know the bottlenecks.” 
• “Use it everywhere you can and add new releases to your workflow.” 
• “You won’t lose your job to an AI. You will lose your job to somebody using an AI.” 
• “Workflow agent for M365 Copilot is very impressive.” 
• “I built an architecture document… in less than a day using this method.” 

🧰 Mentioned     

• Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com 
• Copilot Studio:  https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot-studio 
• Agent 365: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/blog/ 
• Samuel’s Personal Blog: https://samuelboulanger.com 
• Samuel’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@samuelboulangerAI 
• Samuel’s Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0rKyALcqjbAIwN17eKzgtT?si=6AnQdAryR6uOLxllVlGOzg 
• Samuel’s Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mastering-ai-with-the-experts/id1782919291 

✅ Keywords      
copilot, copilot studio, agents, prompt‑a‑thon, frontier firms, adoption, governance, purview, entra, m365, power automate, power platform 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/780

Discover how organisations can move beyond AI hype to real business value. In this episode, Jim Spignardo shares practical strategies for AI adoption, building digital literacy, and creating a culture where technology empowers every team. Learn how to start small, measure impact, and set up the right governance for sustainable, responsible AI transformation.

🎙️ What you’ll learn   

• Identify business problems that AI can solve, not just technology for its own sake 
• Build cross-functional teams and secure executive sponsorship for AI initiatives 
• Develop practical use cases and measure real outcomes from AI adoption 
• Establish effective governance, data risk analysis, and usage policies 
• Foster digital and AI literacy across all levels of the organisation 

✅ Highlights 

• “If you can't inventory those challenges and struggles, then all the AI and all the technology in the world is really not going to get you off the dime.” 
• “Start with something small. Don’t try to boil the ocean.” 
• “We have to have executive sponsorship and buy-in.” 
• “It’s not an IT initiative. If all we're doing is talking to the folks in IT, we pretty much know that's going to most likely fail.” 
• “We run them through a data risk analysis with their M365 data state.” 
• “We build a centre of excellence in SharePoint and fill it up with all types of educational materials.” 
• “We also work with them to develop a good AI usage policy.” 
• “Train them on how to measure the impact and keep things moving, developing a champion programme.” 
• “Shadow AI is real and we can't just pretend it doesn't exist.” 
• “Experimentation is critically important in a safe environment where they can fail and be comfortable with it.” 

 🧰 Mentioned 

• Microsoft 365 Copilot: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot  
• ProArch: https://www.proarch.com/  
• Microsoft Fabric: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-fabric  
• SharePoint: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/collaboration 

✅Keywords 
ai adoption, digital literacy, executive sponsorship, governance, data risk analysis, copilot, centre of excellence, use cases, champion programme, shadow ai, business transformation, responsible ai 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 

This episode explores how Copilot supports innovation, decision making and practical AI adoption across organisations. Amal Hosni Viteri shares her journey from development and DevOps into innovation leadership, describing how AI enhances productivity, reduces operational effort and helps teams focus on their specialities. She highlights the value of context‑aware tools, ethical use of AI and making technology accessible in Spanish‑speaking communities.

🎙️ Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/779

👉 What you’ll learn     

• How to position Copilot as a partner, not a replacement 
• How AI supports faster decision making and operational efficiency 
• How to introduce responsible and ethical AI practices 
• How developers can use Copilot for ideation and code reviews 
• How to support AI adoption in multilingual and emerging markets 

✅ Highlights     

• “Copilot is very nice in the context and knowledge about the context.” 
• “Innovation is a goal for the organisations.” 
• “Copilot is a partner for management, optimisation and automation.” 
• “I changed my mind and work with the know about more for Copilot.” 
• “The people is scared and oh my gosh in my first meet with Copilot.” 
• “AI is only time you feel scared. I lost my work with AI.” 
• “I try to review and double check because it’s not my mind.” 
• “It prepares my day or organise my e‑mail and it’s a little work for me.” 
• “I use Copilot with my team in GitHub for share many code lines.” 
• “I think the innovation is not only technology. It is the process.” 

🧰 Mentioned     

• Microsoft 365 — https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365 
• Copilot — https://www.microsoft.com/copilot 
• Teams — https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-teams 
• Microsoft communities in Colombia — https://techcommunity.microsoft.com 
• Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 

✅ Keywords     
copilot, microsoft 365, innovation, devops, scrum, github, automation, spanish, teams, sharepoint, ai adoption, context aware ai 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/778
 
James Diekman explores how AI and automation are reshaping project management, compliance, and business innovation. Learn practical strategies for embedding AI in workflows, managing risk, and building future-ready teams. Gain insights from real-world government and enterprise projects, with a focus on responsible, efficient, and scalable technology adoption. 

🎙️ What you’ll learn  

• Identify where AI agents can streamline project management and reporting 
• Apply responsible AI frameworks and assurance models in regulated sectors 
• Build and test project-specific tools using low-code and AI platforms 
• Integrate legal and compliance checks into AI solution delivery 
• Develop a continuous improvement approach for AI adoption in your organisation 

✅ Highlights 

• “Roles like project coordinator will get transformed into AI agents or chat bots.” 
• “Setting up a project brain for each project will transform quite a bit.” 
• “We’re seeing a big appetite for AI, especially in New South Wales.” 
• “Every AI solution for New South Wales government must go through an AI assurance framework assessment.” 
• “You can ask the same question multiple times and get different answers.” 
• “Legal teams are starting to use these technologies to enhance their workflows.” 
• “There’s a real opportunity for cybersecurity firms to invest in red teaming for AI.” 
• “If you don’t build AI into your processes, companies will get left behind.” 
• “We use Copilot, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot for development and proposals.” 
• “Don’t just build a chatbot for everything—map your organisation’s processes first.” 
• “A dedicated team or working group should constantly prioritise and build AI capabilities.” 
• “Government, you can’t really get wrong either. It can’t be hallucinating.” 

🧰 Mentioned 

• Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us  
• GitHub Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot  
• Cursor: https://cursor.com/  
• Windsurf: https://windsurf.com/  
• Microsoft Responsible AI Framework: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/responsible-ai  

✅Keywords 
ai, project management, automation, power platform, azure, dynamics 365, responsible ai, assurance framework, legal compliance, user acceptance testing, low-code, cybersecurity 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/777 
 
AI is transforming business and society, but most professionals underestimate its impact. Oliver Hartwich explores how culture, education, and practical skills shape our ability to harness AI’s full potential. Learn why curiosity, deep knowledge, and adaptability matter more than ever. 

🎙️ What you’ll learn  

• How to build practical AI skills for any profession 
• Why cultural attitudes affect AI adoption and opportunity 
• The importance of deep education in an AI-driven world 
• How to experiment and prompt effectively with AI tools 
• Strategies for thriving as technology evolves 

✅ Highlights 

• “Most people really don’t quite know, don’t quite understand what’s happening.” 
• “The potential is enormous. We’re just at the beginning of this curve.” 
• “Geography doesn’t matter anymore. What’s preventing us is culture.” 
• “AI can just get a lot done and a lot faster done.” 
• “General purpose technologies are quite rare.” 
• “Technology has a wonderful potential to solve some of our problems.” 
• “You need deep knowledge. The better educated you are, the more you will get out of AI.” 
• “AI works really well for mid-career professionals who already know what they’re doing.” 
• “Universities are almost giving up on fighting AI.” 
• “Society will fracture between people who know how to use this for their own advantage and others who may not.” 
• “AI amplifies what’s already there. It makes some punchier, perhaps it will make dumb people dumber and smart people smarter.” 
• “Quantum computing will be completely different.” 

 🧰 Mentioned 

• DeepMind: https://deepmind.google/  
• Claude: https://claude.ai/ 
• Xero: https://www.xero.com/ca/  

✅Keywords  
ai, technology, productivity, education, culture, regulation, quantum computing, deepmind, chatgpt, xero, skills, opportunity 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith