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 decades-old content like Christmas party photos from 2009. 

The conversation explores how migration projects evolve from initial IT requests to complex organizational change initiatives. Shannon and Zoe explain why talking to actual content owners across departments is crucial rather than relying s...

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. 

Andy reveals how the Hive intranet became central to change management during the acquisition, supporting everything from document rebranding to employee communications. He discusses practical strategies including using SharePoint web parts for governance oversight, creating centralized FAQ pages with curated search, a...

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 skills functionality, and how the E7 license makes AI more accessible. They explore what this means for organizations considering building their own intranet solutions versus using third-party products. 

The conversation covers whether AI automation will eventually replace the need fo...

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 attention entirely. They discuss how Microsoft 365 organizations will drive software consolidation as Copilot becomes central to workplace AI strategy, forcing companies to evaluate whether external systems can justify their costs when they lack AI integration. David and...

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 come first. 

The conversation covers how intranets serve as horizontal platforms that bridge organizational silos, the importance of talking directly to employees before implementing new tools, and why resistance to digital tools often signals the wrong t...

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 for organizations. 

The conversation covers ClearBox's rigorous fact-checking process, the evolution from analytics as a standalone scenario to integrated workflow assessments, and how customer service has become increasingly crucial in vendor selection. Suzie shares insights on AI trends in the digital employee e...

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 programs, including the Microsoft 365 MVP program. She reveals the critical difference between connection and momentum, and why most community building efforts fail before they even begin.

The conversation covers everything from getting executive buy-in and measuring ROI to choosing the...

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 perspective on product strategy at massive scale. The conversation explores SharePoint's role as the foundational fabric of Microsoft 365, where it serves as the primary content source for Copilot and supports everything from simple intranet publishing to complex workflow automation.

Kripal...

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 executive sponsorship, dedicated champions, and content strategy see dramatically better outcomes than those who jump straight into features and functionality.

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 document storage system requiring a "SharePoint PhD" to the modern collaboration platform that now powers Microsoft Teams, Lists, Loop, and countless other applications. He explains why SharePoint succeeded by being b...

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 jargon 18 months ago by applying external storytelling techniques internally. The team operates like a news desk, creating compelling content about colleagues from a German partner who referees Bundesliga matches to a lawyer who appeared on the Swedish version of Survivor. T...

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 SharePoint vendors face the same response - users saying "no" when asked if they like SharePoint. They discuss the reality of boring, disconnected experiences that plague large organizations, especially when relying on out-of-the-box features.

Fresh Intranet's...

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 appearances from industry voices like Kai at Swoop Analytics and Manesh Mistry from Microsoft.

Tune in for the full episode for a few sneak peeks and exciting plans for Season 2.
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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 Microsoft features, enhanced news and content management, and impressive AI capabilities in search and information management.

A central focus of the episode is on the major takeaways from the Microsoft 365 Community Conference in Las Vegas, which David recently attended. Th...

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 digital workplace solutions and recent industry events, they highlight the critical role of governance, planning, and strategic oversight in ensuring a well-organized digital workspace.

David and Jarbas also discuss the latest SharePoint enhancements, such as AI-powered Design Ideas, flexible layouts, and Copilot-driven page...

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 and Microsoft 365.

They explore why many users feel frustrated with the existing search functionality and discuss potential solutions for improving search quality within the...

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 into the evolution of SharePoint, highlighting its flexible layouts, AI functionalities, and seamless integration with Microsoft Teams. The episode also covers the significant impact of high employee engagement on financial performance, backed by data from Microsoft's Work Trend Index.

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 clear communication to ensure successful AI integration. 

One of the key topics covered is the introduction of SharePoint Copilot agents, which allow users to create agents for documents, list libraries, and sites...

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 current position via metrics to effectively navigate and improve communication strategies. 

The discussion highlights the tangible link between investments in digital channels, like intranets and community-based systems, and employee engagement, emphasizing the importance of t...

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 Excel. 

The episode opens with introductions and quickly dives into the core topic, providing listeners with foundational knowledge about what Copilot is and how it's being used in today’s digital workplaces.

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 networking, enhancing community building and content collaboration.

The conversation then shifts to the evolution of SharePoint into a modern web publishing tool. Jarbas and David highlight new features such as custom fonts, flexib...

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 tools like editorial calendars and search functionalities. They also highlight the strategic use of FreshMind - intranet AI features to improve search within SharePoint, and emphasize client feedback in product development.

The episode covers balancing market de...

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, we explore the potential of Copilot agents and the unique benefits they offer, helping users work more efficiently and collaboratively.  
Follow and subscribe for insights on how AI is changing the way we connect and...

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 business executive, this episode offers valuable strategies to enhance your SharePoint experience. Tune in to discover how to tackle SharePoint intranet hurdles effectively and make your digital workplace thrive. 

 Need to use a SharePoint intranet? When all information available is overly technical or negative, turn to Fresh Perspectives: Living in the reality of SharePoint intranets. We provide useful, jargon-free insights and real-world examples to help you maximize the benefits of SharePoint intranets and tackle its challenges.