Level Up M365

Joe Cole
  • 5.0 (6)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED DAILY

Level Up M365 is a podcast where we aim to demystify the Microsoft 365 platform from an in-the-weeds perspective. Topics may vary, and even meander at times, but we focus on the collaboration apps like, SharePoint, Teams, Power Platform, and Copilot, respectively. Based on the need, we may go a little technical and dig into the landscape of software development, Generative AI (GEN AI), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), etc. Be sure to visit the site for free companion resources and consider sharing/rating us/subscribing as this is the only way to support our effort for the time being.

  1. JAN 12

    #17: Gantt Chart Options in Microsoft 365

    Timestamps 00:04–00:27 — Intro Welcome, episode overview, quick note about being under the weather.00:27–01:24 — Sponsor & Support Self‑funded show; encourages ratings, shares, and coffee donations.01:24–04:58 — Preamble / Personal Updates Deepening work in software development, extending SharePoint/Power Apps, and using YouTube as a repository for demos.05:04–09:22 — Message Center Radar MC11820: Teams chat with any email — potential security concern.MC1138798: SharePoint workflows modernized via Power Automate (Feb–Mar 2026).MC792601: Retirement of domain‑isolated SPFx web parts (April 2026).09:27–15:23 — Main Topic: Gantt Chart Options in M365 Buy it: Planner Premium (Project for the Web).Out‑of‑the‑box: SharePoint list Gantt view (legacy but free).Build it: Custom Power Apps Gantt chart Joe created.15:50–18:31 — Tip of the Week #1: Azure B2B Access Packages Time‑bound external access to reduce security risk; restrict access to specific Teams/Sites.18:31–22:12 — Tip of the Week #2: OneDrive Shortcuts Syncing folders locally improves Windows search; recommended for active projects.22:12–End — Closing Subscribe, visit levelupm365.com, and thanks to listeners.Link to show notes https://levelupm365.com/2026/01/12/podcast-17-gantt-chart-options-in-microsoft-365/↗

    23 min

  2. 10/14/2025

    #16 From Generic to Genius – Personalized AI with Copilot Memory

    Full Write up - https://levelupm365.com/2025/10/13/episode-16-from-generic-to-genius-personalized-ai-with-copilot-memory/  Show Notes and Timestamps  00:00 – Intro  Joe Cole introduces the episode and its focus on Microsoft 365 and Copilot.  00:44 – Episode Overview  Topics: Teams calendar updates, quantifying AI value, and Copilot memory deep dive.  01:21 – Sponsor Segment  Joe self-sponsors the show and shares ways listeners can support (engagement, tip jar).  02:10 – Preamble  Joe’s recent work: prepping sensitive environments for AI, cleaning data estates, and shifting focus from Copilot Notebooks to Copilot Memory.  04:05 – Message Center Radar  04:16 – Teams Calendar Update (MC1129730): Outlook web calendar replaces Teams calendar toggle.  https://admin.microsoft.com/?ref=MessageCenter/:/messages/MC1129730  05:40 – Power Automate Savings Tool (MC1160319): New feature to quantify time/money saved by automations.  https://admin.microsoft.com/?ref=MessageCenter/:/messages/MC1160319  07:23 – Copilot Memory Update (MC58329): Improved memory settings and personalization controls.  https://admin.microsoft.com/?ref=MessageCenter/:/messages/MC1158329  07:58 – Deep Dive: Copilot Memory  08:11 – What is Copilot Memory?: Using Copilot to retain context and boost productivity.  09:33 – Feature Comparison:  Copilot Conversations: Short-term, real-time chats.  Copilot Pages: Long-form writing (blogs, proposals).  Copilot Notebooks: Developer-focused (code, data analysis).  Copilot Memory: Stores personal info for contextual responses.  Full Write up:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sorry-conversation-has-reached-its-limit-lets-start-new-joe-cole-uav9e/?trackingId=o3xbOwwXAs%2B%2BkDYefJdjkQ%3D%3D  15:08 – Workflow Tips  Export chats to Word docs and store in SharePoint for future reference.  Use SharePoint agents to tap into stored knowledge.  17:05 – Future Ideas  Building a knowledge base with SharePoint and Copilot agents for deeper AI integration.  18:52 – Tip of the Week  19:01 – Quote from Paul Thurrott: “AI is not making us dumber”—it’s saving time by parsing the web.  21:14 – Microsoft Lists Updates From João Ferreira –  https://lists.handsontek.net/microsoft-lists-updates-2025-deprecations-new-features/  Mobile app retiring in November.  Power BI quick integration retiring in December.  SPFX field customizers likely deprecated.  Browser policy changes.  Copilot + Lists integration: Lists now usable as Copilot knowledge sources.  25:44 – Final Thoughts  SharePoint rules and approval mechanisms are evolving.  Teaser for future write-up on SharePoint list automation.  26:18 – Outro  Subscribe and visit https://levelupin365.com for visuals and links.  Follow  Apple Podcasts –  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/level-up-m365/id1718776415  Spotify –  https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/levelupm365/  Newsletter/Socials –  https://levelupm365.com/subscribe-social-page/  If this post was helpful support the effort by ether of the following, share, like, subscribe, leave a tip!

    27 min

  3. 07/17/2025

    #15 What the heck are Copilot Pages?

    Timestamps (Generated by AI) 00:02 – Welcome & Introduction  02:25 – Message Center Radar Joe highlights three Microsoft 365 announcements from the Message Center: MC1085569: Teams recording policy update — recordings now default to the meeting organizer’s OneDrive, streamlining record management.MC1060780: Copilot Chat now visible for unlicensed users across Office web apps.MC1041457: New usage report for Copilot Chat showing active users across Teams, Outlook, and Copilot.cloud.microsoft..06:36 – Feature Deep Dive: Copilot Pages Joe explores Copilot Pages and their architecture. Key takeaways: A Copilot Page is technically a Loop Page, powered by the Microsoft Loop app.Pages begin as Copilot chats and become editable documents via the “Edit in Pages” button.These are stored as .loop files on OneDrive, inheriting full M365 governance like retention, sensitivity labels, and lifecycle policies.Under the hood, each page lives in a SharePoint Embedded container, which is essentially a lightweight SharePoint site.Admins can view, manage, and restore these containers, with reassignment workflows coming soon — crucial for maintaining ownership after users leave.18:17 – Tip of the Week: Folder Ownership Mapping with Power Automate Joe shares a clever solution for a messy SharePoint migration: Users didn’t know who owned what folder.He built a Power Automate flow to get file properties, track editors, deduplicate with a union expression, and email requesters with appropriate contacts.He also used the item() expression to loop through results and automate notifications. Thing of the week links Power Automate Item() Expression video example - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC86gF_774IBulb Digital Episode - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/josephbcole_m365-is-changing-heres-what-it-means-for-activity-7349507471398322176-5wZX?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAVnRisBMH96yvZL0kLlMFU2BE0wcYGEj_Y Follow Apple Podcasts – ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/level-up-m365/id1718776415⁠Spotify – ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/levelupm365/⁠Newsletter/Socials – ⁠https://levelupm365.com/subscribe-social-page/

    23 min

  4. 05/27/2025

    #14 Exploring Copilot Chat Features and Benefits, plus all the retirements coming up

    Timestamps (Generated by AI) [0:00:00 - 0:03:06] Introduction [0:03:06 - 0:07:03] Microsoft 365 News [0:07:03 - 0:09:18] Co-Pilot Chat Features [0:09:18 - 0:11:49] Practical Uses of Co-Pilot Chat, Tip of the Day Links Full Write up - https://levelupm365.com/2025/05/26/podcast-14-exploring-copilot-chat-features-and-benefits-plus-all-the-retirements-coming-up/Hardcore Software: Inside the Rise and Fall of the PC Revolution by Steven Sinofsky (affiliate link) https://amzn.to/43xSToa. Retirement of classic Teams – Classic Teams will reach end of support on July 1, 2024, and end of availability on July 1, 2025Retirements of SharePoint Alerts – https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sharepoint-alert-retirement-take-action-now-avoid-business-joe-cole-9oaff/?trackingId=mX8ptsIUPvj8m3BRFHNZvA%3D%3DChanges to Microsoft Project for the web (retirement of the location not the app) – https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/plannerblog/transitioning-to-microsoft-planner-and-retiring-microsoft-project-for-the-web/4410149CoPilot chat URL - Go to https://copilot.microsoft.com Follow Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/level-up-m365/id1718776415Spotify – https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/levelupm365/Newsletter/Socials – https://levelupm365.com/subscribe-social-page/

    23 min

  5. 05/20/2025

    #13 Microsoft Build 2025 Thoughts

    Microsoft Build 2025 introduced over 50 announcements aimed at accelerating AI-driven development. Highlights include: Microsoft 365 Copilot Tuning: Enterprises can train Copilot with internal knowledge for domain-specific tasks.Advanced AI Agents: Microsoft 365 and Teams now support multi-agent workflows, enabling smarter collaboration.Azure AI Foundry Updates: New AI models, including Grok 3 and Sora, are available, along with multi-agent orchestration for enterprise applications.Copilot Studio Enhancements: Developers can now create task-specific AI agents with expanded customization options.Security & Compliance: Microsoft Purview now provides enterprise-grade security controls for AI applications.Edge Innovations: New AI-powered tools, including PDF translation, on-device AI APIs, and agent-powered web apps.Windows AI Foundry: A unified local AI platform for Windows, supporting on-device model deployment.Developer Productivity: Enhancements to GitHub Copilot, Power Automate, and new AI-powered development tools.Quantum Security Measures: Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) integration for Windows and Linux to future-proof encryption. Reference Book of News from Microsoft https://news.microsoft.com/build-2025-book-of-news/Text Write up - https://levelupm365.com/2025/05/19/microsoft-build-2025-thoughts/ If this post was helpful, please share it as a token of your appreciation and consider subscribing to be notified of new content!

    12 min

  6. 02/17/2025

    #12 Fireside Chat Agentic AI vs Generative AI Chat Bot

    AI Summary Chatbots are reactive; they respond when prompted (e.g., retrieving a calendar event when asked).Agentic AI (Autonomous Bots) take proactive actions based on predefined conditions (e.g., monitoring tasks for inactivity and flagging overdue ones).Use Case Example: In software development, an agentic bot could take requirements from a structured document, set up databases, create UI forms, and generate Power BI dashboards—automating much of the early development work.Differentiation: Autonomous bots are typically specialized in a narrow task, while chatbots are broader in scope but less in-depth. IE. Password reset, queries on HR policies, onboarding FAQ, etc. Links Microsoft Blog autonomous agents - https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2024/10/21/new-autonomous-agents-scale-your-team-like-never-before/Copilot Chat Bot - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/copilot-101/what-is-a-chatbotcheckout my Copilot AI category for my details - https://levelupm365.com/category/microsoft/copilot/AI Generated Transcription - https://levelupm365.com/portfolio/podcast-12-fireside-chat-autonomous-agentic-agents-vs-generative-ai-chat-bot-ai-transcripts/ If this was helpful consider following the show and view the website for more resources - https://levelupm365.com/

    8 min

  7. 01/20/2025

    #11 New Teams Chat UI and Calendar plus fun with chat bots

    Episode Summary - New Teams chat UI and calendar coming your way. - Renaming the Teams general channel. - Formatting text with chat bots. Links - Blog Post on New Teams UI- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-microsoft-teams-chat-ui-coming-your-way-joe-cole-24pbe/?trackingId=Zf3d2Y09RLCNVgwfmhUWGg%3D%3D - Follow site for my juicy m365 tips - https://levelupm365.com - AI Generated Transcript - https://levelupm365.com/portfolio/podcast11-new-teams-chat-ui-and-calendar-plus-fun-with-chat-bots-ai-generated-transcript/

    18 min

  8. 11/01/2024

    #10 Fireside Chat Increase ROI on M365, reduce data leakage

    Episode Summary Think strategically about adoption and modularity with M365. Get familiar with low-code tools, explore existing configurations, and aim for scalable solutions that other departments can reuse. Don't ignore easy governance, and be cautious of moving towards a commercial off-the-shelf (COT) solution simply because you think it will be easier to implement. Show Notes How to Dedupe data (remove duplicate values) using Power Automate - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp0jLnmKcEs&t=316s Book a room app in Power Apps - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlrUFzfLusY AI Generated Transcript here (there will be typos) - https://levelupm365.com/portfolio/podcast-episode-10-transcript/ Be sure to subscribe and checkout the main site for more juicy M365 goodness! ⁠⁠https://levelupm365.com/

    9 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Level Up M365 is a podcast where we aim to demystify the Microsoft 365 platform from an in-the-weeds perspective. Topics may vary, and even meander at times, but we focus on the collaboration apps like, SharePoint, Teams, Power Platform, and Copilot, respectively. Based on the need, we may go a little technical and dig into the landscape of software development, Generative AI (GEN AI), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), etc. Be sure to visit the site for free companion resources and consider sharing/rating us/subscribing as this is the only way to support our effort for the time being.

Information

  • Creator
    Joe Cole
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Joe Cole
  • Show Website
    Level Up M365