Using resources at scale … Things you learn at Microsoft

This is Post number 99. There is a reason that this is post number 99. The $99 you'll spend on a MSA membership is the best 99 bucks you'll spend all year.

"You miss every shot you don't take"
~ Wayne Gretzky

Increasing the Odds

Every shot you take in conjunction with the MSA increases the odds of yet another goal achieved.

The Microsoft Alumni Network is an amazingly powerful and well-connected group of people that know how to get things done. As a MSA member you have access to some of the sharpest minds on the planet.

Of course, you already knew that because you worked with them.

Giving Back

Before I talk about some of the incredible benefits you get from being a Microsoft Alumni Network I want to briefly touch upon giving back. At the Reunion with a Purpose one of the things everyone got to see unfold was how Microsoft alumni and Microsoft the company are still investing and giving back every single day all around the globe.

The Microsoft Alumni Network web page is here and the Facebook page is here. Check them out, get involved and if you are eligible … JOIN!

A few examples of the good stuff happening within the MSA:

AndreaTaylor, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute	Peter Bladin, Microsoft Alumni Network 2016 Integral Fellow

What's in it for you?

There are a lot of benefits of being part of the Microsoft Alumni Network. But, a few of them that I particularly enjoy are listed below. I suspect you will like these to, but I'm guessing you might find benefits and some of the other areas to. For example things like insurance, travel benefits, adventure travel and even career guidance.

My Three Best Things … About being a Microsoft Alumni Network member

Connect / Reconnect with Alums

• Well this might sound obvious it is in fact a key and critical benefit. There are people but we just lose touch with and the Microsoft alumni network is a great way to reconnect with them.

5 Microsoft Office licenses (This covers the cost of MSA membership)

• This one benefit alone pays for your membership. I have three kids in college and they have full access to the full suite of the Microsoft office products.

Company Store Spend

• For everyone that was a blue badge that remembers going to the company store and having store credit well with the MSA membership you also get access to the store and you'll have half the amount of store credit that you had as an FTE.
  • So, instead of bugging your FTE friends to pick up stuff at the Company Store … you can do it yourself.
  • PS – Sometimes meeting up with FTE’s at the Company Store IS a great way to re-connect too.

Not to mention all the other things that happen like the Reunion with a Purpose (which just happened on Oct 7th - Start thinking about tickets for next year) and other events that we get access to. Things like guest speakers, tech events that are happening on campus, trips and travel too.

• Outside In - One in particular we were able to attend a talk with the first female blue angel pilot. She shared her 3M's of a Blue Angel's pilot. I brought my daughter and my wife to this talk. They loved it.

IAMCP is here to help too

Of course, every MSA member that has started a company that's doing work (or wants to do work) in the Microsoft partner world we would love to have them as members of the IAMCP. The IAMCP is a non-profit, all volunteer run organization that has a mission of helping partners to Connect, Learn and Grow.

Full Disclosure: I am the president and co-founder of the IAMCP Seattle chapter. Join us for our next meeting on Oct 20th or Nov 17th (links take you to the registration page). The first meeting is always free.

What does this all mean?

Ultimately being a Microsoft Alumni Member is something we all learned working at Microsoft. It’s about … using resources at scale.

As a former Microsoft employee you know what this means. As a Microsoft Alumni Network member you get to re-live this and utilize these skills, resources and contacts to grow your business, to light up your passion, to make a difference.

If you haven’t joined … now is the time.

What’s all this with the number 99?

It’s the best $99 you’ll spend all year.

And, if you get the #99 reference with Wayne Gretzky drop a comment here.

And, it’s also my 99th post on LinkedIn.

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Image Credits: Microsoft Alumni Network, Wayne Gretzky / LA Kings

Jeff is business advisor, mentor and community engagement expert. He has spent most of his career in the Enterprise Content Management industry. He brings over 20 years of Channel Sales, Partner Marketing and Alliance expertise to audiences around the world in speaking engagements and via his writing. He has worked for Microsoft, Kodak, and K2.

Tweet him @jshuey or connect on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Google+ He is active in the Microsoft Partner Community and is the co-founder and President of the IAMCP Seattle chapter.

He is a contributing author to Entrepreneur, Elite Daily, Yahoo, US News and to the Personal Branding Blog