063 Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Beautiful. – The Journey Nobody Sees

063 Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Beautiful. – The Journey Nobody Sees

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2609176/fan_mail/new] What happens when the host becomes the guest? In this special episode of Journals of the Information Entrepreneur, Andrea McIntosh takes over the host's chair and puts Jacqueline Stockwell in the hot seat for an honest, unfiltered conversation about entrepreneurship, leadership, resilience and what it really takes to build a business in today's economy. As a dyslexic entrepreneur, bestselling author and founder of Leadership Through Data, Jacqueline shares the highs, the lows and everything in between. From writing to the BBC, ITV and Netflix, trying to partner with Microsoft, sending her book to MPs, The King's Trust and The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and relentlessly championing the information management profession, this is a story of persistence in the face of rejection. In this episode, we discuss: ✅ The realities of running a business during challenging economic times  ✅ Why sales cycles are longer and budgets are tighter than ever  ✅ The importance of investing in yourself, even when times are tough  ✅ Building a personal brand and creating visibility for your profession  ✅ Leadership lessons learned from years of entrepreneurship  ✅ Why great leadership doesn't happen by accident – it happens by design  ✅ How to create greater impact, influence and value in your organisation If you're an information leader, records manager, data professional, entrepreneur or aspiring leader, this episode will inspire you to keep going, keep learning and keep showing up. 🎯 Take the EMPOWER Scorecard Want to discover where you are on your leadership journey? Complete the FREE EMPOWER Leadership Scorecard and receive personalised insights into your leadership strengths, opportunities and next steps. Take the scorecard here: EMPOWER Leadership Scorecard [https://scorecard.leadershipthroughdata.com/empower] 🎁 Stay Until The End! Don't miss the surprise at the end of the episode. As a thank you for supporting the podcast, five lucky listeners will receive a special gift designed to help accelerate their leadership journey. Connect with Jacqueline 🎧 Subscribe to the podcast  ⭐ Leave a review  🔄 Share this episode with a colleague  💜 Join Jacqueline's LinkedIn Live sessions every Wednesday Because together, we can raise the profile of information, data and records management. Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Beautiful. 💜 Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2609176/support]

062 Garbage In, Garbage Copilot: Information Management in the AI Era (or The Information Architecture of AI) with Kevin McDonnell

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2609176/fan_mail/new] Turning on Microsoft Copilot is easy—the real challenge is what happens next. In this episode, host Jacqueline Stockwell sits down with Microsoft MVP Kevin McDonnell to dissect the massive "wake-up call" organizations face regarding information hygiene, oversharing, and data permissions.  We talk about the newly introduced Copilot CoWork (Microsoft’s pay-as-you-go credit service), the real cost of automation, and how to deal with redundant, obsolete, and trivial (ROT) data before your AI references a draft policy from 2018. If you are wondering how the role of the knowledge manager shifts from "librarian" to "coach" over the next three to five years, this is an episode you cannot afford to miss.  What We Cover: * The Copilot Shock: Why turning on AI immediately highlights your worst permissions hygiene.  * Understanding CoWork: How it takes action (like cleaning your calendar or auditing DevOps) and what it actually costs.  * Taming the ROT: Practical ways to structure your information architecture so AI remains accurate.  * The Evolving Knowledge Worker: Why the future of knowledge management belongs to prompt delegators, AI skill definers, and human influence.  2. Referred Material Links (For Show Notes) Keep your listeners connected to the resources mentioned in the episode: * Connect with the Guest: Kevin McDonnell on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com] *  Listen to Kevin’s Podcast: The Copilot Connection Podcast [https://www.copilotconnection.com] (with Zoe Wilson and Gary Trinder)  * Kevin's BlueSky: @KevMcDonk on BlueSky [https://bsky.app] *  AI & Prompting Resources Mentioned: * Anthropic AI Skills Guide [https://www.anthropic.com] *  Skills.sh Repository [https://skills.sh] * Get Your Data AI-Ready: Leadership Through Data Training Courses [https://leadershipthroughdata.com] * Microsoft 365 SharePoint Records Management Training UK [https://leadershipthroughdata.com/courses/uk/microsoft-365-uk/microsoft-365-sharepoint-records-management/] * Microsoft 365 Copilot | Training for Information Managers | UK [https://leadershipthroughdata.com/courses/uk/microsoft-365-uk/microsoft-365-copilot-for-information-managers/] * Microsoft 365 Information Architecture Training Course | UK & IRE [https://leadershipthroughdata.com/courses/uk/microsoft-365-uk/microsoft-365-information-architecture/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2609176/support]

061 Bridging the Gap: How to Sit Between Tech, Business, and AI with Duncan Boyne

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2609176/fan_mail/new] Are your business users actually opening your data dashboards, or are they getting lost in a sea of rows, columns, and overcomplicated metrics? In this episode, host Jacqueline Stockwell sits down with Power BI and Fabric specialist Duncan Boyne to bridge the "messy middle" between heavy data engineering and real-world business decisions. Duncan shares his unconventional approach to data storytelling—including why he asks clients about their favourite addictive smartphone apps to design better dashboards. We also dive deep into how data and compliance professionals can stop waiting for official IT corporate rollouts and start using generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini safely today to become "dangerously efficient." Key Takeaways * The Golden Rule of Data Storytelling: If a stakeholder looks at a report and has to ask "What does this column mean?" or "Why is that blue?", the dashboard has already failed. True storytelling prompts actions, not formatting questions. * Designing for "Doom Scrollers": Why understanding whether your stakeholder scrolls TikTok, reads LinkedIn, or browses Amazon dictates the layout and visual architecture of their reporting. * The Power of "Silly Questions": How asking the most basic, seemingly naive questions can break through the "curse of knowledge" and solve massive operational blind spots (like how a simple seasonal temperature shift ruined an engineering company’s product failure metrics). * Becoming Dangerously Efficient with AI: How to use LLMs right now for mundane tasks like accessibility testing, color blindness theory verification, or creating date tables, without exposing live or sensitive customer data. * Enterprise Guardrails vs. Shadow AI: Why rolling out AI requires the exact same rigid IT planning, testing, and sandboxed UAT environments as a new CRM system. Links & Resources Mentioned * Connect with Duncan Boyne: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/] * Get Duncan's Toolkit: https://github.com/DuncanBoyne/AI-BI [https://github.com/DuncanBoyne/AI-BI] * Learn More About Leadership Through Data: www.leadershipthroughdata.com  * The Leadership Through Data EMPOWER Scorecard - Get clear on where you may be exposed — privately and without judgement - The Leadership Through Data EMPOWER Scorecard [https://scorecard.leadershipthroughdata.com/empower] * Event Mentioned: Experts Live UK at Code Node London Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2609176/support]

060 Stop Talking About the Life You Want, Start Living It with Rachael Hudson

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2609176/fan_mail/new] What if the biggest barrier to your success as a leader isn’t your workload, your organisation, or even your strategy… but your mindset? In this episode, Jacqueline Stockwell sits down with Rachel Hudson, an NLP coach, clinical hypnotherapist, and mindset specialist, to explore how leaders can break free from limiting beliefs and step into a more empowered way of thinking and leading. Together, they unpack the concept of generative change — moving beyond quick fixes to creating deep, lasting transformation in how you think, feel, and act. For information leaders and data professionals, this conversation is particularly powerful. Whether you're struggling with stakeholder buy-in, feeling overwhelmed by competing priorities, or questioning your impact, Rachel shares practical insights to help you regain control and confidence. In this episode, you’ll learn: * The difference between a victim mindset and an empowerment mindset * How the stories you tell yourself shape your leadership outcomes * A simple question that can instantly shift your perspective * Practical tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to manage overwhelm * Why resilience is built through challenge—and how to harness it This is not about fixing problems temporarily…  It’s about creating a new way of thinking that supports long-term success. 🎧 Tune in and start living the life you’ve been talking about. 🌱 Ready to take this further? If something landed for you in this episode… don’t just leave it here. You don’t need to figure it all out on your own — I’ve created a few simple ways to help you take your next step, at your pace. 🟢 — Start where you are If you’re not quite sure how you’re showing up right now, start here: 👉 Thinking with Jaki Scorecard — your Influence Action Plan Use this to get clarity on how you currently show up, where you might be getting stuck, and what your next influence move is. Thinking with Jaki [https://mady-5pll0hbu.scoreapp.com/] 🟡 Build clarity and direction Once you’ve got that awareness, let’s build a clearer picture of where you are overall: 👉 Leadership Through Data EMPOWER Scorecard This will show you where you sit across the EMPOWER framework — your strengths, your gaps, and what to focus on next so you can move forward with confidence. The Leadership Through Data EMPOWER Scorecard [https://scorecard.leadershipthroughdata.com/empower] 🔵 Grow with me If you’re ready to go deeper and build real momentum: 👉 Join the free EMPOWER Masterclass | Leadership Through Data I’ll walk you through the full roadmap and help you see exactly how to step into your influence and leadership — in a way that feels like you.  The EMPOWER Masterclass | Leadership Through Data [https://leadershipthroughdata.com/empower-programme/masterclass/]  🚀 Want to keep building? If you’re ready to take action beyond this episode, here are a couple of ways we can work together: 👉 Book Jaki to speak at your next event Bring these conversations into your organisation or community with practical, real-world learning. Public Speaker, Write & Podcaster - Jacqueline Stockwell [https://jakispeaks.com/] 👉 Join the 21-Day EMPOWER Sprint Build momentum, take action daily, and stop overthinking your next move. https://leadershipthroughdata.com/empower-21/ [https://leadershipthroughdata.com/empower-21/] 💬 Final thought You don’t need to do everything at once.  Just take one next step. And if this episode helped you, I’d love you to share it with someone who needs to hear it too 💛 Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2609176/support]

059 The Man Behind the Architecture: Security, Allyship, and Being Yourself with Peter Rising

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2609176/fan_mail/new] What does it look like to lead with kindness and honesty in the fast tech world?  In this episode, host Jacqueline Stockwell talks with Peter Rising. Peter is a Senior Partner Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft, a writer, and a YouTuber. He knows a lot about technology, but that is only part of his story. He also stands up for women in tech, cares deeply about mental health, and is an autism dad. Peter has Tourette’s syndrome, and he talks openly about his journey to show that leaders can look different than we think.  In this episode, Jacqueline and Peter talk about: * How Cloud Security Has Changed: How moving data to the cloud changed everything, and why companies need to plan ahead to stay safe.  * Humans and AI: Why tools like Microsoft Copilot are great for helping us work, but still need human minds to guide them.  * How to Be a Real Ally: Why men need to do more than just say they support women—they need to speak up when things are unfair.  * Being Yourself at Work: Peter's experience public speaking with Tourette’s syndrome, and why workplaces need to give real support to people who think differently.  * Avoiding Burnout: How Peter sets boundaries to log off from work, write books, and run his YouTube channel without burning out.  Peter reminds us that "every day is a school day." If you want to learn about cloud safety, AI, or making the workplace a better place for everyone, this episode is for you.  Find Peter Rising: * LinkedIn: Search "Peter Rising"  * YouTube: @PeterRisingM365  🌱 Ready to take this further? If something landed for you in this episode… don’t just leave it here. You don’t need to figure it all out on your own — I’ve created a few simple ways to help you take your next step, at your pace. 🟢  Start where you are If you’re not quite sure how you’re showing up right now, start here: 👉 Thinking with Jaki Scorecard — your Influence Action Plan Use this to get clarity on how you currently show up, where you might be getting stuck, and what your next influence move is. Thinking with Jaki [https://mady-5pll0hbu.scoreapp.com/] 🟡 Build clarity and direction Once you’ve got that awareness, let’s build a clearer picture of where you are overall: 👉 Leadership Through Data EMPOWER Scorecard This will show you where you sit across the EMPOWER framework — your strengths, your gaps, and what to focus on next so you can move forward with confidence. The Leadership Through Data EMPOWER Scorecard [https://scorecard.leadershipthroughdata.com/empower] 🔵 Grow with me If you’re ready to go deeper and build real momentum: 👉 Join the free EMPOWER Masterclass | Leadership Through Data I’ll walk you through the full roadmap and help you see exactly how to step into your influence and leadership — in a way that feels like you.  The EMPOWER Masterclass | Leadership Through Data [https://leadershipthroughdata.com/empower-programme/masterclass/] 🚀 Want to keep building? If you’re ready to take action beyond this episode, here are a couple of ways we can work together: 👉 Book Jaki to speak at your next event Bring these conversations into your organisation or community with practical, real-world learning. Public Speaker, Write & Podcaster - Jacqueline Stockwell [https://jakispeaks.com/] 👉 Join the 21-Day EMPOWER Sprint Build momentum, take action daily, and stop overthinking your next move. https://leadershipthroughdata.com/empower-21/ [https://leadershipthroughdata.com/empower-21/] 💬 Final thought You don’t need to do everything at once. Just take one next step. And if this episode helped you, I’d love you to share it with someone who needs to hear it too 💛 Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2609176/support]