If you’ve ever been on a Teams call with me or seen a YouTube video of an interview, you would recognize this wall “behind the redhead” for sure!! I painted this wall on the 5th of April 2020. It was my 21st project in the first 11 days of COVID lockdown. (Also, can we just giggle about how that girl is trying to write on her laptop with a pen, or how bad the “text” looks on the laptop or mug? 🤣. This blog is not really about a wall. It is about what happens when everyday tools become creative partners. And wow, Copilot has grown up fast.)
Six weeks ago, I bought a Jetour T2 on a whim. What I didn't realise was that the real journey wouldn't be measured in kilometres travelled. It would be measured in perspective gained. AI (Copilot) didn't take me on a road trip. It simply gave me back enough time to remember I needed one.
I didn’t plan this story. In fact, that’s kind of the point. What started as a simple decision turned into something I couldn’t have predicted, a journey designed with #AI, shaped by someone I trust deeply, and experienced in a way that challenged everything I thought I needed to control. This isn’t just about technology. It’s about what happens when we use it to create something more meaningful.
We’re hearing more and more about AI being used to scam, manipulate, and deceive. Fake emails. Fake voices. Fake offers that look just real enough to trick you. And it’s scary. But here’s the thing most people are missing… The same AI that threatens you can also protect you.
I’m pressing pause on the current theme for my Copilot blog series, not because Copilot isn’t useful, but because I want to prove just how useful it really is beyond boardrooms, project plans, and IT diagrams. Today’s interruption is about wine. And learning. And curiosity. And how Copilot fits beautifully into all of that. I’ve decided to become a more intentional wine drinker, not overnight, not pretentiously, and definitely not by memorising tasting notes I don’t understand. Instead, I’m using Copilot as my guide while I explore six Odd Bins (more info on Vivino) wines over the next week or two. Copilot is helping me decide where to start, what to pay attention to, how to capture my thoughts, and ultimately how to understand what I actually enjoy. This is the point I don’t want missed: Copilot is not just for information workers or IT people. It’s for everyday humans who are curious. Humans who love learning. Humans who enjoy wine and want to understand it better without feeling intimidated or overwhelmed. Copilot doesn’t replace the experience; it supports the journey.
Project managers don’t get the luxury of “more time.” We get more work. More updates. More stakeholders. More risk. More chaos. And yet, the expectation is always clarity, structure, momentum, and leadership. This is exactly where Channel Agents in Microsoft Teams become your secret weapon.
Tracy van der Schyff 