Fresh Perspectives: Living in the reality of SharePoint intranets

David Bowman hosts Shannon Ford and Zoe Bennett, Solutions Consultants at Advania UK, for an in-depth discussion on content migration challenges and strategies. Shannon and Zoe share insights from massive migrations including 20 terabyte projects and SharePoint 2016 to online transitions. They reveal why the biggest migrations are often easier than smaller ones and discuss the common discovery of...

Jarbas Horst and David Bowman from Fresh Intranet welcome Andy Hall, Knowledge Transformation Manager at Forvis Mazars, for a deep dive into managing SharePoint intranets through major organizational change. Andy shares his journey from the company's rebrand from RSM to joining the global Forvis network, including a complex tenant migration that affected 3,500 employees across multiple countries. ...

SharePoint just celebrated its 25th anniversary with Microsoft's biggest announcement in years. The new SharePoint experience introduces a refreshed navigation bar that follows you everywhere, featuring discover, publish, and build capabilities that transform how teams work with content and AI.  Jarbas Horst and David Bowman break down the major changes including the rebranded SharePoint AI, new s...

David Bowman and Jarbas Horst from Fresh Intranet share their bold predictions for workplace technology in 2026. The conversation reveals three major shifts that will reshape how organizations operate and communicate internally. The duo explores the growing threat of AI generated content flooding workplaces and social media platforms, creating what they call AI slop that risks losing employee atte...

David Bowman and Jarbas Horst from Fresh Intranet sit down with Christiaan Lustig, intranet and digital workplace consultant and author, to explore what digital employee experience really means. Christiaan explains why his definition puts employee needs first, arguing that great digital employee experience is the sum total of all digital interactions where the needs and expectations of employees c...

Jarbas and David from Fresh Perspectives sit down with Suzie Robinson from ClearBox Consulting to explore the comprehensive process behind the 900-page ClearBox Report. Suzie explains how her team conducts 3.5-hour product demos, scores vendors across 8 business scenarios, and maintains the delicate balance between honest reviews and vendor relationships while keeping this valuable resource free f...

Building a successful community isn't about gathering large numbers of people in one place. It's about creating meaningful connections that drive real business outcomes. Former Microsoft MVP program leader Laurie Pottmeyer shares her proven strategies for building communities that actually work. Laurie spent nearly two decades at Microsoft developing some of their most successful community program...

Fresh Perspectives hosts Jarbas Horst and David Bowman sit down with Kripal Kavi, Principal Group Product Manager at Microsoft, who leads product development for SharePoint experiences including sites, pages, the new Amplify space, and SPFx. Kripal manages an impressive portfolio spanning both mature products serving hundreds of millions of users and zero-to-one initiatives, giving him a unique pe...

Daniel Amaro from Klarinet Solutions shares 27 years of hard-won wisdom about what makes intranet projects succeed or fail. From his base in San Diego, Daniel has delivered hundreds of intranet projects and reveals the 3 critical elements every organization needs before starting their digital workplace journey. The biggest surprise? It's not about the technology. Organizations that focus on execut...

Mark Kashman spent over a decade inside Microsoft working on SharePoint, from the early days of SharePoint 2007 to becoming the first product manager for SharePoint Online. Now as an independent consultant, he shares insights that only come from being on the engineering side of one of the world's most widely used platforms.  In this conversation, Mark breaks down the evolution of SharePoint from a...

David Bowman and Jarbas Horst speak with Alex Peers, Intranet Content Manager at DLA Piper, about transforming corporate communications through storytelling on SharePoint. Alex manages the intranet for 7000 people across multiple countries at the global law firm, turning what could be dry corporate content into engaging human stories.  Alex explains how DLA Piper moved beyond traditional corporate...

Abby Webster from TD Bank shares how they transformed a frustrating 150000-page intranet system into a streamlined platform that 95000 employees actually love using. From handling 1 million daily visits to seamlessly integrating social collaboration, discover the strategic decisions that made their SharePoint-based solution a massive success. 

David Bowman and Jarbas Horst return for Season 2 of Fresh Perspectives, diving into the latest SharePoint drama that unfolded while David was on vacation. Microsoft introduced new page templates that disappeared almost immediately after user backlash, plus a mysterious AI quick actions button that's now floating on every SharePoint site. The hosts share real feedback from recent conferences where...

In this season finale of Fresh Perspectives, Jarbas and David reflect on the standout moments and key lessons from their first twelve episodes. From reflecting on how the podcasting journey pushed them out of their comfort zones, to sharing their most memorable highlights - this episode revisits the episodes that explored 2025 trends, the evolving role of AI and Copilot, and standout guest appeara...

In this episode of Fresh Perspectives, Jarbas Horst, senior product manager, and David Bowman, product director for Fresh Intranet, kick things off by celebrating a significant milestone: Fresh Intranet’s recent recognition by Clearbox as an award-winning solution in the digital workplace space. They reflect on what set their product apart, notably its tight integration with SharePoint and Microso...

In this episode of Fresh Perspectives, David Bowman and Jarbas Horst tackle the ever-present challenge of managing SharePoint effectively. They explore why organizations often struggle with cluttered and chaotic SharePoint environments, emphasizing that while the platform offers extensive flexibility, its lack of structure can quickly lead to confusion. With insights from their experience in digit...

SharePoint intranet search - why do you hate me?   This provocative question resonates with many SharePoint users. At events, when we ask people if they love SharePoint, search is often cited as a pain point in their intranet experience.   This is why in this episode of Fresh Perspectives, Jarbas Horst and David Bowman dive into the complexities of the search experience within SharePoint Intranet...

In this episode of Fresh Perspectives, David and Jarbas explore the essential role of intranets in modern organizations. They discuss how intranets, particularly SharePoint intranets, enhance employee engagement, streamline communication, and boost productivity.   David and Jarbas share real-world examples and insights on why every business, regardless of size, needs a modern intranet. They delve...

In this episode of Fresh Perspectives, David and Jarbas delve into the evolving landscape of SharePoint intranets and the transformative power of AI.    Sharing  their experiences from recent events, including the Microsoft AI Tour and the Ragan AI Horizons event in Miami, they discuss the varying levels of AI adoption among organizations and the importance of change management, training, and clea...

In this episode of Fresh Perspectives, David and Jarbas engage with Cai Kjaer, the co-founder of Swoop Analytics, to explore the critical role of measurement in workplace environments with a particular focus on enhancing employee engagement.    Cai, who has a rich background in analytics and internal collaboration, provides insights into the need for communicators to understand your organisation's...

In this episode of Fresh Perspectives, David Bowman and Jarbas Horst are joined by Manesh Mistry, Copilot Technical Specialist at Microsoft, to explore the functionalities and developments of Microsoft Copilot.    David and Jarbas set the stage for a detailed discussion about how Copilot is revolutionizing the integration of generative AI with Microsoft 365 applications such as Teams, Word, and Ex...

In this episode of Fresh Perspectives, Jarbas Horst and David Bowman welcome the new year with predictions and insights for 2025.   They begin with Viva Engage, predicting its continued momentum owing to Microsoft’s consistent improvements and the tool’s ease of integration within organizations. When combined with SharePoint and Teams, Viva Engage creates a powerful platform for enterprise social...

In this episode of Fresh Perspectives, Jarbas Horst and David Bowman are joined by Madeleine Ryderheim, Head of Product Operations at Fresh Intranet. They discuss why solutions like Fresh exist alongside SharePoint and explore SharePoint's need for extensive configuration to be user-friendly.   Madeleine shares how Fresh enhances SharePoint with better interfaces, content aggregation, and advanced...

In today’s fast-paced tech landscape, even intranets need an upgrade. But do we really need modern intranets in an era dominated by AI? The AI Intranet episode dives into why companies should rethink their employee experiences and how AI can take them to the next level. We discuss real-world scenarios where AI transforms intranets into smarter, more intuitive spaces that boost productivity. Plus,...

In this episode of 'Fresh Perspectives: Living in the Reality of SharePoint Intranets,' hosts David Bowman and Jarbas Horst dive deep into the complexities of using SharePoint as an intranet platform. They explore the root causes behind some of these challenges and share practical tips and insights to help you overcome them. Whether you're an intranet manager, HR leader, IT professional, or busine...