Level Up M365

Joe Cole

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. 2d ago

    #21 Create a Second Brain with Copilot Notebooks

    AI Generated Transcript [00:00:03] Welcome to Episode 21 The episode focuses on Microsoft Copilot Notebooks explaining how they can create a second brain for individuals and organizations It covers M365 updates knowledge retention and automation scenarios for IT teams [00:01:32] Personal Update Moving into Endpoint Management The host discusses a professional shift from SharePoint and Power Platform toward endpoint device management aiming to understand how it complements the broader M365 ecosystem [00:03:30] Message Center Radar A brief overview of the months key Microsoft 365 updates [00:04:01] Microsoft Whiteboard Legacy Retirement Legacy Microsoft Whiteboards are being retired Organizations must migrate content to avoid loss offering improved governance in the process [00:05:09] Scheduled Prompts in Copilot Agent Builder A new feature allows scheduled prompts for Copilot Agents This enables automatic recurring updates on topics like service health or news reducing the need for manual queries [00:05:46] Windows 11 Lifecycle Reminder A reminder for enterprises to review upgrade plans for older Windows 11 releases to meet upcoming support deadlines referencing the August 2026 M365 roadmap link to show notes below. [00:07:25] Main Topic Creating a Second Brain with Copilot NotebooksDefinition A Copilot Notebook is a curated collection of sources files documents that Copilot references to answer questions acting as a focused knowledge domainKnowledge Preservation It allows organizations to capture the expertise of tenured employees in documents emails etc into a searchable repository preserving institutional knowledge even after they retire or change rolesHelp Desk Optimization Tier 1 technicians can query the notebook to resolve issues faster reducing interruptions to senior engineersAutomation Integration The episode suggests integrating Notebooks with Power Automate to monitor service health notifications automatically filtering and routing relevant updates to ticketing systems to improve problem management records [00:13:01] Practical Considerations and LimitationsGarbage In Garbage Out The quality of Copilots answers depends entirely on the quality and organization of the source materialKeep Knowledge Fresh Notebooks require ongoing maintenance a stale knowledge base becomes a liabilitySource Restrictions Currently notebooks work best with files and documents SharePoint Lists are not directly supported requiring a workaround such as exporting lists to files to be included [00:15:38] Tip of the Week AI Is the Feature Not the Product A caution against buying solutions that market AI as the primary product AI should be viewed as a tool that enables specific outcomes not the value itself link on show notes. [00:16:55] Final Thoughts on Apples MacBook Neo Commentary on the rumored MacBook Neo suggesting it is designed to extend Apples ecosystem for specific users rather than directly competing with traditional PCs[00:18:14] Closing Thoughts Reiteration that Copilot Notebooks are a practical use case for preserving knowledge and improving productivity. Show notes: https://levelupm365.com/2026/08/03/podcast-21-create-a-second-brain-with-copilot-notebooks/%E2%86%97 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/

  2. Apr 16

    #20 Fireside Chat This One Thing Will Stiffen Innovation

    AI Generated Timestamps Episode 20 – Timeline00:03 — Opening Thesis Core statement: “Governance should come after innovation.” Sets the theme: guardrails slow creativity. Host introduces the episode: “Hi all, welcome to another fireside chat.” Notes this is Episode 20 and the second consecutive release. Mentions the previous episode about building an app and optimizing for time to business value. Encourages listeners to check the prior episode but clarifies it’s not required. Focus: When to implement mechanisms and guardrails. Emphasizes high‑level thinking and trade-offs:“There’s not a perfect solution, only trade-offs.” Argues that early solution-building should avoid heavy governance. Introduces Rust as a metaphor for guardrails. Rust prevents memory errors but can slow innovation. C and C-like languages powered systems for decades. Mentions iPhone hacks caused by memory leakage that Rust mitigates. 00:07 — Welcome & Context 00:14 — Serendipitous Timing 00:33–00:43 — Connection to Previous Episode 00:43–01:09 — Purpose of This Chat 01:09–01:27 — Guardrails Can Hinder Early Creation 01:27–02:23 — Rust vs. C Example Link to show notes ⁠https://levelupm365.com/2026/04/06/podcast-19-fireside-chat-mitigate-risk-with-software-development

  3. Apr 6

    #19 Fireside Chat mitigate risk with software development

    Timestamps: 00:03 — Welcome & Episode Setup 00:12 — Episode Theme: Mitigating Software Development Risk 00:20 — A Break from the Usual M365 Focus00:25–00:39 — What a Fireside Chat Means 00:39–00:50 — How This Relates to M365Core Philosophy 00:53–01:26 — Joe’s Background & Context 01:26–01:53 — The One‑Sentence Philosophy 02:05–02:32 — Why Speed Matters 02:32–03:29 — Why SharePoint & Power Apps Fit This Model 03:29–03:49 — Good Enough vs. Perfect 03:49–04:29 — The Cost of Slow Development 04:29–04:40 — The Origin of “Fail Fast”Pitfalls & Cautions 04:53–05:42 — Pitfall 1: Governance Gaps 05:42–06:10 — Pitfall 2: Prototype Stagnation 06:10–06:32 — Product Ownership Matters 06:32–07:15 — Show Progress Early & HonestlyAdditional Insights 07:15–07:37 — Honest Ugly Demos vs. Fake Pretty Demos 07:37–07:55 — Invitation for FeedbackTechnical Analogy 08:00–09:22 — WebAssembly as a Cautionary TaleClosing 09:33–09:46 — Wrap‑Up & Call to Action Link to show notes https://levelupm365.com/2026/04/06/podcast-19-fireside-chat-mitigate-risk-with-software-development

  4. Feb 26

    #18 Project for the Web Retirement and Project Management Options in M365

    Timestamps 00:03–00:12 — Show Introduction 00:12–00:52 — Preamble + What’s New 00:52–03:17 — Personal Update (Dominican Republic Trip) 03:17–04:01 — YouTube Channel Update 04:01–10:00 — Message Center Updates (“Message Radar”) MC1235123 — OneNote for iOS Local Backups (04:01–06:42) MC1193421 — Planner Features Being Retired (06:42–07:55) MC1234661 — DLP Blocking Copilot Processing (07:55–10:00) 10:00–14:00 — Main Topic: Planner vs Project for the Web Planner Standard Planner Premium Recommendation 14:00–18:00 — Project Management Concepts + Gantt Discussion 18:00–21:32 — Planner Changes Summary 21:32–23:20 — Tip of the Week #1: Copilot Bug (Drafts/Sent Items) 23:20–23:55 — Tip of the Week #2: Copilot Chat Conversations 23:55–24:30 — Closing Link to show notes ⁠https://levelupm365.com/2026/02/26/podcast-18-project-for-the-web-retirement-and-project-management-options-in-m365/

  5. 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/2026/02/26/podcast-18-project-for-the-web-retirement-and-project-management-options-in-m365

  6. 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!

  7. 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/

  8. 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/

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Ratings & Reviews

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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
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Joe Cole
  • Show Website
    Level Up M365