Proof That Even an Old IT Guy Can Still Learn New AI Tricks
I just got back from the M365 Conference in Orlando, and let me tell you — if the future of work is AI‑powered, collaborative, and slightly chaotic, then I feel right at home. As the IT Manager for my organization and the human behind InboxOverload, I spend a lot of time creating training materials that help people navigate the digital storm. So getting hands‑on time with Copilot Studio? That was like giving a kid the keys to the candy store… if the candy store also occasionally hallucinated and insisted it was Clippy’s long‑lost cousin.
And yes, I’m old enough to remember when AI was just Clippy with ambition. Now it’s out here rewriting workflows, generating content, and politely pretending it didn’t just make up an entire SharePoint site that never existed.
Workshops, sessions, and… the mysterious NDA zone
I attended 3 workshops, 11 sessions, and 3 research sessions — the kind where you sign an NDA and then immediately wish you could tell everyone what you just saw. Let’s just say the direction things are headed is exciting, thoughtful, and very much aligned with the way real people actually work. I loved being able to contribute to those research efforts, even if all I can publicly say is:
“I know something you don’t know, and it’s awesome.”
But the real magic? The people.
By far, the best part of the conference wasn’t the tech, it was the community.
The energy was unreal.
The conversations were meaningful.
And the connections? Unexpectedly powerful.
Whether it was:
- a random lunch table full of brilliant strangers sharing war stories,
- those quick “hey, what do you use for that?” exchanges with the people sitting around me in sessions,
- or the after‑hours meetups where everyone was equal parts exhausted and inspired…
…I walked away feeling like I’d found my people.
I met vendors who genuinely care about solving real problems.
I met attendees who were generous with their knowledge and honest about their challenges.
And I even found myself in a small group of folks who are genuinely invested in seeing each other succeed, not just at the conference, but long after.
A personal shift I didn’t expect
I’ll be honest: in past conferences, I didn’t take full advantage of the networking opportunities. I was the “attend the sessions, take the notes, go back to the hotel” guy.
This time?
I leaned in.
I showed up.
I talked to people.
And it changed everything.
Now that I’ve experienced what this community can be when you actually participate in it, I can’t imagine ever going back to the old way.
Walking away inspired
I’m heading home energized, inspired, and more excited than ever to keep building training materials, exploring what’s possible with Copilot Studio, and staying at the leading edge of AI — even if my knees make bubble‑wrap noises every time I stand up.
To everyone I met: thank you.
To everyone I didn’t meet: next time, let’s fix that.
And to the future of AI: please evolve responsibly, creatively, and with fewer hallucinations than my brain after three days of conference caffeine
More blog posts in the archive.
Stop by my youtube page and say hi!
