This is not a series (S01E03) - Featuring Mark Smith

One of the biggest challenges many of us have faced in the last year or just about is not having the possibility to connect in real with people. I'm far from being alone being impacted by this constraint and who's affected. Downward spiral, lower inspiration, blank stares, emotional bumpy ride, and much more...

The reactions I've received last summer following my It's OK not to be OK! article were already a sign of not being alone. In the recent weeks, with the uprising of new pandemic wave(s) and the turn of the year, I've witnessed many other community "buddies" go through rough times too.

SO, in a selfish move, I've determined that one way to help me get back on the saddle of writing, contributing, and sharing would be to talk about some of the people that have crossed my path and with whom I've connected. Under different circumstances, they've helped me out, professionally and/or personally.

This is not a series.... why? Simply put, I have no clue if this will be such. Putting one step in front of the other, that's how I'll take it. (so far, this is my third post, following up on last week's featuring Alison Mulligan).

Who knows, it may help get back that "jive" I used to have and get back at sharing my Power Platform learnings, etc...

I also hope that for those reading this/these article(s) that you'll discover or learn more about these stars or behind the scene superstars. Take the time to connect with them, I recommend it.

With all my love and care, here it goes!

Mark Smith, MVP & MCT, the community kiwi!

Well known in the Dynamics / Power Platform scene, Mark is actively involved in many events such as #Hack4Good and other hackathons. He's really not shy about being himself and brings a whole lot of fun to the group! He drives a series of podcasts, video channels, live coverage of conferences, and live YouTube sessions (#PowerUpLive).

One of the things I really appreciate from him is his willingness to post on topics that can be considered dangerous / not following politically correctness trends, etc.

Some examples:

After traveling the world for a year or so, setting foot in the UK for a while, Mark looped back to his homeland (New Zealand) just in time (not planned as such) to be there before the global pandemic hit us. There he produced a VLOG about self-isolation the pandemic was causing. It allowed us to see how much of a working bee he can be, but also come to know with surprise that he loves to show off as he showers outside!!!

When looking back at my story with Mark it makes me realize how simple actions we take towards people who reach out to us, while sometimes may feel benign, those actions can have a huge impact on them. Here's how Mark has provided such an impact on different occasions for me.

About 2 years ago, I've started to follow Mark's podcasts and YouTube channel focusing on How to Become a Microsoft MVP. He accompanied me during many of my morning/evening commute to/from work. He was my unaware walking buddy 😀

Since I appreciated his contributions, I started to regularly commenting on Mark's articles, videos, and podcasts with feedback and questions. He reacted quite swiftly by answering back, every single time. Already with this active interaction, he kept me interested and helped me feel like I had a reach somewhere somehow. Even in August 2019 he quoted me in one of his clip, I can't say how that made my day back then 😀

Later on that year, I had a lively discussion with him about career coaching, my community contributions, and how to raise my reach and impact. That's when he helped me consider focusing on one main topic that I liked and in a format that I was most comfortable with. Turned out that I picked up AI Builder and I did enjoy the ride as this is a topic with continuous improvement. Thanks!

Moving forward in early 2020, I was allowed to join the 90 Days Mentoring Challenge a full 3-month experience led by Mark. Want to participate in a series of training sessions with labs and homework that take you outside of your comfort zone while allowing you to deliver them in a safe family-like group, and walk out with a clear view on how to position yourself as a key player in the Microsoft Business Apps world, SIGN IN!!!!

Sound is quite crappy - My 90DaysMC Summary

Ever since then, we've kept in touch and Mark has been helpful for me on multiple occasions. 

More recently he invited me to be featured in his MVP Show podcast, quite a fun experience and very odd to participate in a series I had listened to so often during my morning walks!

These are some of the many reasons why I wanted to share my gratefulness and recommend anyone to connect with Mark. To my friendly kiwi, I want to say thanks and I really appreciate the different opportunities that we have to connect ;-)

Besides the human factor, there are many other "professional" reasons I recommend you connect with him. He's very involved in community activities and provides lots of valuable information, tips n tricks about career development focused in the Business Apps industry.

You can learn more by reaching out to him: