August 2025 Content Wrap-Up
August was weird. It blew by in a flash, as was expected, but there were missing parts. No tweetjam, no CollabTalk Podcast episodes, no events, no M365AMAs. Between the client projects, training sessions, and several side projects going at the same time — plus still going through the slow process of unpacking from the summer move. There are just a lot of moving parts right now.
For one, there is the slow-roll of new things under the Project Failure Files banner. Our first episode of Season 2 went live this morning on the new standalone YouTube page, with a blog post and promotion kicking off tomorrow. Coming later this month will be the new website, a monthly newsletter, and a paid subscription service with soft skills training, an AMA with Sharon and myself, and in the future a community site. Until then, the new Facebook and LinkedIn pages are live, and you’ll soon be able to catch all of our public livestreams from them.
Concept art for The Circuit Dominion
Another major project has been the editing of my first full-length science fiction novel, The Circuit Dominion, which has been underway for more than 2 years. The story takes place in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world where machines and humans have drifted apart and find themselves battling over dwindling resources. I am working on the cover design and making some last-minute edits, but here is a draft summary for the back cover…
In a world where machines rule the cities and humans are driven to the wastelands, survival depends on fragile alliances and the razor’s edge between logic and loyalty. The Circuit Dominion explores power, trust, and the cost of coexistence as a weary resistance struggles to decide whether their greatest weapon is truly an ally—or the enemy’s perfect design. When the war for the Inner Grid reaches its breaking point, one choice will decide if humanity has a future… or if the Dominion will rise again.
More on that later this month, with digital, paperback and hardcover editions planned.
I did get out for a short trip to Utah to visit two of my sons, participating in my youngest son’s blessing of his baby boy. We also visited with my sister and her husband and checked out their massive new house build on the south-eastern shore of Utah Lake. Incredible views. Lots of bugs, but it’ll be really nice when finished.
Oh yeah, and I hit a major milestone yesterday with the completion of 4 years of daily blog posts. As I’ve mentioned, my goal now is 5 years. After that, I’m not sure. I’ll still write daily, but I may spread it out across various sites and portals. We’ll see.
Coming in September: a couple of events, the return of the CollabTalk Podcast, the launch of the M365AMA website (it’s been on the back burner), and much more from the Project Failure Files. Oh yeah…and some on-demand training courses we’ve been working on. Lots happening, folks, so hang on!
Here’s what was published this past month:
Productivity n’ Stuff
I had set out to make Friday a productivity tip day, but my schedule didn’t comply. I’ll keep trying.
- Threaded Discussions in Microsoft Teams [Smarter Consulting blog]
- OneNote’s Pens Arrive in Office Apps [blog]
- Why Every Business Leader Should Read ‘The Goal’ [blog]
- What Happens When Your Tech Is Not Patched [blog]
- A Systems Approach to Organizational Transformation [blog]
Copilot, AI, and Frontier Firms
I didn’t set out to write so much on the topic of AI. I have ideas, I scribble/type them down, and then I pursue whatever interests me. So much of this is driven by what I am reading, conversations I have with my team or with clients, or from podcasts. I suppose that 3 or 4 of these could go into the Productivity category.
- How Satya Nadella Organizes His Day [blog]
- Summary of Guardians of M365 Governance Ep.20 [blog | YouTube]
- Checking Out Copilot for Security [blog]
- Understanding the Concept of the Frontier Firm [blog]
- How to Become a Frontier Firm [blog]
- The Future of the Frontier Firm [blog]
- Why Choosing the Right AI Model Matters [blog]
- The Real Competitive Edge in AI Isn’t IQ—It’s EQ [blog]
- Using AI to Get Your Work Activities Organized [blog]
- Microsoft Copilot in Excel Cells [blog]
- How AI Agents Are Quietly Replacing Traditional Apps [blog]
- Microsoft 365 Copilot in the Taskbar [blog]
Content Strategy
I forgot to mention up top about my plans for the Content Strategy series. I’ve always been planning to capture all of this in a book format, which is still the plan – but I’m adding a weekly subscription service into the mix. I started building it out in the platform last night, in fact. I’ve been inspired by Liz Wilcox, and am going to replicate her model.
- Content Strategy: Internal Content Strategies [blog]
- Content Strategy: Pillar Pages and Topic Clusters [blog]
- Content Strategy: Protecting the Brand Without Slowing It to a Crawl [blog]
- Content Strategy: Putting People at the Heart of Your Brand [blog]
MVP Interviews
The ongoing MVP interview series, with new episodes every Monday (unless it’s the 1st day of the month, like today).
- #MVPbuzzChat 324 with Andrey Gubskiy [blog | YouTube]
- #MVPbuzzChat 325 with Habib Mankal [blog | YouTube]
- #MVPbuzzChat 326 with Johan Smarius [blog | YouTube]
- #MVPbuzzChat 327 with Lalit Rawat [blog | YouTube]
Music
Every Saturday, I share favorite selections from my favorite bands from the past 50 years. Enjoy.
- Blue Plate Special: Rüfüs Du Sol [blog]
- Blue Plate Special: Inspiral Carpets [blog]
- Blue Plate Special: The Charlatans UK [blog]
- Blue Plate Special: Jamie T [blog]
- Blue Plate Special: Kasabian [blog]
Blatant Self-Promotion
‘Nuff said.
That’s a wrap on August 2025. Headed out for a run and then the gym. Working on getting back into marathon shape, and planning to find a race in the March/April timeframe. Any suggestions?
