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Celebrating other's success is part of what makes a community. Those kind, selfless moments of shared happiness. Whilst it is a great thing to aspire to, it does not always happen. This is why we need to pay homage to people who do.
Stuart Baxter is one of those people. We both got awarded as MVPs in Business Applications in the UK in June 2023. This is when I first properly met Stuart. He made quite an impression with his genuine personality and the way he celebrated everyone else on the inauguration call. He was also very humble despite his many other achievements. These are all qualities to respect and admire. No matter where we are on our journey, celebrating other people for being "Awesome" should never stop. A shared happiness exponentially increases, and this is math to stand by.
Say Hello to Stuart Baxter
Let's hear it straight from the source, what makes Stuart...Stuart!
“I am a Power Platform Practice Lead with Robiquity, a technology agnostic intelligent automation company based in Manchester.
My role is to help develop our Microsoft practice, enabling our team to deliver the best possible solutions for our customers.”
You can keep up with Stuart on LinkedIn, or the Scottish Power Platform User Group which he co-founded here. Let’s see what made his tech journey so unique.
Origins: How did you discover your passion for technology and what was your first project?
My first project was building Excel reports using outputs from Advanced Find Queries, way back in 2015! From there I fell into a support role, looking after a CRM 4.0 system for British Gas. A couple of years later we upgraded to D365 Field Service, and that's when I became really passionate about delivering great solutions. I became obsessed with D365 and Power Platform, and wanted to learn it all! I'm still learning, but that's half the fun.
Award: What are some of the most rewarding or impactful experiences you have had during your time as an MVP?
How did they change the way you learn and interact with others?
The MVP award has allowed me the opportunity to meet some amazing fellow community contributors, and to also share knowledge with fellow Power Platform enthusiasts.
I never stop learning from the community.
Furthermore, I am constantly amazed by the cool solutions people are putting out into the world!
Real talk: How do you balance work and personal life? Do you ever have to deal with imposter syndrome, and how?
I have clear boundaries. Wednesday and Friday evenings are family time. I finish work early, pick my six-year-old son up from school and spend time together. I don't work weekends and minimize travel. This allows me to be super focused when working, and completely detached when it's family time. Despite being an MVP, I continually feel surprised that people think I am an expert. Don't get me wrong, I know a bunch of stuff, but still have a lot to learn. This used to worry me. In recent months, I've managed to change my mindset. Now, I focus on growing my experience, rather than focusing on what I don't know yet.
Giving back: How do you support and uplift aspiring MVPs or Community members? How can we drive new perspectives, for example those with neurodiverse superpowers?
I run Scottish Power Platform User Group (SPPUG), where we actively encourage new, and up and coming speakers. We have welcomed some amazing people to our events and will continue to offer that platform. This is so the community can step out of their comfort zone and be fully supported in front of a crowd to talk about anything they feel passionate about.
Irrespective of people's background, everyone has a voice. I am proud to say that SPPUG has helped a lot of people to be heard!
Fun: If you had a WWE smackdown between 2 products, which ones would it be and why?
It has to be Canvas Apps VS Model-Driven Apps. In the red corner, the beautiful... the colorful... the fan favorite... CANVAS APPS. In the blue corner, the consistent... the clean... the feature packed... MODEL... DRIVEN ... AAAAAAAPPS!
I honestly can't pick a winner, canvas apps allow super creative solutions, with very little boundaries when it comes to UI. Model-driven apps come with so much out of the box, when designed well can provide a clean user experience, and are so quick to pull together. I have seen hundreds of boring Canvas Apps, but have yet to see a Model-Driven App that isn't packed with a tonne of cool stuff in a super short development time!
Reflecting and learning with a smile:
Learning from each other brings us all closer. Here are my top five thoughts from what Stuart has shared with us:
Focus on growing our experience, rather than focusing on what we don't know yet. What words to live by.
Stressing about the next step in the knowledge ladder is not good for our mental health.
Family time is something to cherish, protect and plan the rest of your schedule on.
Irrespective of people's background, everyone has a voice.
Creating safe spaces for new community members to grow and thrive is an unparalleled legacy.
A massive thank you to Stuart for joining the MVP Diaries series. Cannot wait to hear your thoughts and AHA moments which inspired you.