Revolutionizing Data Management: From Spreadsheets to SharePoint Mastery
Welcome to another insightful episode of the Rise Urban Nation podcast hosted by Taryell Simmons. In this episode, we sit down with Thurman Trotman, affectionately known as Mr. SharePoint, to explore how modern businesses can ditch cumbersome spreadsheets and streamline their operations. Discover how SharePoint and Microsoft 365 tools can automate repetitive processes, enhance collaboration, and unlock new levels of workplace productivity.
Thurman recounts how automating a conference room booking system in 2009 launched his dedicated career in SharePoint.
The transformation of a military van pool business from chaotic spreadsheets into a centralized Vehicle and Driver Management System (VDMS).
The Netflix analogy demonstrating why organizations should replace emailed spreadsheets with centralized web forms.
Thurman reflecting on how Rich Dad Poor Dad in the Army shifted his mindset from "I cannot" to "How can I?"
The power of doing exceptional work so your name is recommended in rooms your feet have not yet touched.
Spreadsheet Elimination: Why emailing spreadsheet attachments creates version confusion and how centralized web forms prevent human error.
SharePoint Core Features: How websites, document libraries, and web-based SharePoint lists provide scalable solutions for organizational data.
Custom List Views: How independent views and calendar displays allow team members to analyze data without disrupting colleagues.
Workflow Automation: Utilizing built-in alerts and Power Automate to build automated internal and external notification systems.
Entrepreneurial Growth: Why continuous self-education and delivering over-the-top results are vital for professional networking.
Replace multi-user spreadsheet tracking with centralized SharePoint lists to maintain a single source of truth.
Create custom list and calendar views to tailor data visibility for different team roles without altering source data.
Integrate Power Automate with SharePoint lists to eliminate manual email follow-ups and status updates.
Invest in self-education to fully utilize the Microsoft 365 applications your business already pays for.
Thurman Trotman, known as Mr. SharePoint, is an experienced IT consultant and the creator of the SharePoint Help Desk. He leverages his military background and extensive government contracting experience to teach organizations how to optimize Microsoft 365 tools. Connect with Thurman on LinkedIn and find his free templates and tutorials at https://bio.site/SPHD.
Taryell Simmons: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to another insightful episode of the Rise Urban Nation podcast. Today we are diving into the strategic world of business solutions with a twist of technology. In the building today is Thurman Trotman, also known as Mr. SharePoint, the mastermind behind the SharePoint Help Desk. Thurman, welcome, sir.
Thurman Trotman: I am very happy to be here. Let us do this.
Taryell Simmons: When you told me I could ditch Excel because I was watching your videos, I knew we had to talk. Could you share with our listeners the background of what led you to focus on SharePoint over Excel?
Thurman Trotman: It was a total accident. Something chooses you; you do not choose it. That is basically what happened with SharePoint. I was a contractor supporting the government, working as the IT guy. Inside that shop, many people were older and looked to me for all things IT. One of my tasks was booking the conference room. People would contact me via email or phone asking if the room was free. I would check my calendar, confirm availability, email them back, and meet them in the room.
Thurman Trotman: Around 2009, the organization purchased SharePoint 2007. Another contractor came in and suggested automating that entire conference room process. He explained that we could create a calendar on SharePoint where people could book the room themselves, automatically sending confirmation emails with all the necessary details. Once I oversaw that process, I asked to be sent to training. From 2009 onward, I have been living and breathing SharePoint every day.
Taryell Simmons: You also helped a friend streamline their business operations. What was that situation and how did you assist them?
Thurman Trotman: A friend owns a military van pool company where a designated soldier drives a van to transport other soldiers efficiently, saving gas and money. They had to manage multiple spreadsheets containing vehicle details, registrations, soldier signups, and insurance records. I showed him how to eliminate those spreadsheets by creating a centralized SharePoint website called the Vehicle and Driver Management System, or VDMS.
Thurman Trotman: The whole team could access lists of vehicles, soldiers, and registration expiration dates, with automated notifications sent when registrations were due to expire. Because they already had Microsoft 365 for Excel, they already had access to SharePoint without needing new software.
Taryell Simmons: Is that managed under a single project or separated into individual projects?
Thurman Trotman: SharePoint has three major capabilities: creating websites, document libraries for storing files, and SharePoint lists. A SharePoint list is like a spreadsheet on steroids on the web. I replaced two spreadsheets with two SharePoint lists that reside on one central site. Navigation buttons allow users to view all soldiers or all vehicles, and the data is interconnected so clicking a soldier displays their linked vehicle.
Thurman Trotman: People often use Excel incorrectly simply because they do not realize they have SharePoint. With SharePoint, built-in permissions allow you to create an intranet where different departments, like finance, HR, or operations, have tailored access to specific lists and information out of the box.
Taryell Simmons: Could you elaborate on the key challenges businesses face with Excel and how SharePoint addresses them?
Thurman Trotman: Consider how online services work. When you sign up for Netflix, they do not ask you to download a spreadsheet, fill in your details, and email it back. Instead, you enter your information into a web form and click submit. When people use spreadsheets internally, emailing a file to ten team members immediately creates ten separate, conflicting copies of the data. Downloading, editing, and replying introduces version control confusion like version two or version three.
Thurman Trotman: With SharePoint, you simply send a link to a central site where users input data directly. Furthermore, while placing Excel in the cloud is a good initial step, multiple collaborators often hide columns or apply filters that disrupt each other's work. In a SharePoint list, custom views allow every user to filter and organize data independently without altering what others see.
Taryell Simmons: How do you organize data and automate workflows in SharePoint?
Thurman Trotman: For example, if you track podcast outreach, team members can submit suggested podcasts via a form into a central list. You can add a status column to track progress, such as recorded or published, and create dedicated views for completed items without disconnecting the underlying data. You can also generate calendar views based on scheduled recording dates so administrators can prepare materials and receive advance notifications.
Thurman Trotman: Beyond built-in email alerts, you can use Microsoft Power Automate to build customized automated workflows. For instance, you can automatically send customized emails internally or externally whenever a new item is added. I helped a colleague who previously managed office dispute moderation requests across messy spreadsheets. We migrated her process to a SharePoint site with sign-up forms and automated emails, completely eliminating spreadsheet maintenance.
Taryell Simmons: What lessons and advice would you give to entrepreneurs building their businesses?
Thurman Trotman: First, educate yourself. I invested in training out of pocket because I knew mastering these tools would elevate my career. A nine-to-five job is a great environment to test new ideas and learn what is possible. Second, build a high-quality network. Get to know people inside and outside your industry by building genuine relationships. My core strategy is to over-deliver on every project. When you do exceptional work, clients naturally recommend you to others.
Taryell Simmons: That aligns with having your name mentioned in rooms your feet have not touched yet.
Taryell Simmons: What was your journey from your first job to where you are now?
Thurman Trotman: Growing up in the Bronx with Caribbean roots, my early jobs included sweeping a barbershop, making cocoa bread and beef patties at a Jamaican bakery, and working at McDonald's. After high school, I joined the Army, which gave me structure and taught me that I had the power to change my circumstances. An Army captain introduced me to Rich Dad Poor Dad, which shifted my mindset from saying "I cannot" to asking "How can I?" That perspective transformed my approach to problem solving, leading to government contracting and IT.
Taryell Simmons: Where can our listeners follow your work, access your templates, and get in touch with you?
Thurman Trotman: You can reach me through my link at https://bio.site/SPHD, where SPHD stands for SharePoint Help Desk. There you will find my stakeholder template, YouTube tutorials, and training resources. I am also active daily on LinkedIn. To get started at your job, next time you are asked to collect data in a spreadsheet, build a SharePoint list instead, share the link, and demonstrate the possibilities.
Taryell Simmons: Thank you for joining us, Thurman. Listeners, subscribe to the Rise Urban Nation podcast, share this episode, and keep rising.
Thurman Trotman: Thank you, Taryell. I appreciate it.
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