Time to update on my progress in the 90-Day Mentoring Challenge. With 2020 fast approaching, and already over 150 requests to join this intake, I decided to review where I am at and how things have gone so far.

Here are my top 10 tips to maximize a Microsoft MVP in your company.This post follows on from my previous post What are the Benefits of Employing a Microsoft MVP?

I recently had a conversation with the founder and CEO of a Microsoft Business Applications Global Systems Integrator (GSI). The discussion turned to Microsoft MVPs and his desire to hire as many as he could across their global business. Some interesting questions were raised including, what are the benefits of employing MVPs? And how can a Microsoft Partner effectively invest in attracting and hiring MVPs?

Throughout my career I have benefited from outstanding mentors and coaches. I was brought up in rural New Zealand on a dairy farm, one of seven children. In our home, the focus was on hard work and not academia.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) is an annual award that Microsoft presents to individuals that are an outstanding contributor in the community for a specific Microsoft product. Some feel that the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Award should not only be for a Microsoft product speciality, that if you are an MVP you are an MVP period. Currently, though, Microsoft awards Most Valuable Professionals in relation to a specific product area. In my case, I am now a Microsoft Business Applications Microsoft Valuable Professional and have held the award for the past 8 years.

Power Platform Happy Hour is an in-person social event run every six weeks for people interested in or work with the Microsoft Power Platform and its various components, such as PowerApps, Microsoft Flow, Power BI, Dynamics 365, Mixed Reality, Artificial Intelligence and Power Platform Independent Software Vendors (ISV).

Around 18 months ago I decided to start a podcast. The reason for doing this is I had taken a year off work to travel the world with my wife, but I wanted to develop a new skill while travelling and that was to become a good listener. I contacted Joel Lindstrom and talked to him about my plans and he invited me to syndicate my Podcast on CRM.Audio and so I recorded my first show in Nottingham UK at my cousin’s house. One of my aims in podcasting is to learn how to create a connection between the guests I was interviewing and the people listening so that the audience felt like the guest was speaking directly to them as an individual. The format of my podcasts has always been a guest interview scenario with me and one other person on the call.

Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree. “What are you doing?” you ask. “Can’t you see?” comes the impatient reply. “I’m sawing down this tree.” “You look exhausted!” you exclaim.

Onika Allen - talking about CRMUG.

Tony Stein talking about CRMUG.