76 – Optimism for unparalleled opportunity focused on a better world.

Welcome to the 76th episode of the Ultimate Guide to Partnering™. I was delighted to welcome back to the podcast a dear friend Dux Raymond Sy, the Chief Brand Officer at AvePoint.   I met Dux years ago and he was a guest, Episode 15 of the podcast. He's an expert at branding, social media, marketing, and much more. I was excited to feature him again to share his insights and pearls of wisdom on these topics. Additionally, we discussed the impact of the pace of change and digital transformation since the pandemic and his company AvePoint's efforts toward addressing diversity and inclusion.   The world has changed quite a bit since we last spoke. Dux and I dove into the changes we are both seeing during this highly transformative time.  AvePoint boasts the only full suite of SaaS solutions designed to migrate, manage, and protect data in Office 365. Their governance and protection of Microsoft Teams, has exploded in popularity since the beginning of the Pandemic.    BRANDING & SOCIAL MEDIA  With over 15,000 followers on Twitter and thousands on LinkedIn, Dux has mastered the art of social media. We discuss the importance of branding and a social media presence. Here are his top three considerations:   Get your brand out there, get to know more people. It might potentially lead to a better future.  Always be altruistic. Offer knowledge, answer questions and provide information for your followers.  Represent your organization, cause, purpose.   PARTNERSHIPS & MICROSOFT  Dux has also done a masterful job branding himself and his company in partnership with Microsoft. He equates partnership to marriage, where a solid commitment on both sides is critical, in it for the long haul and attuned to your partner's needs. For Dux, it comes down to three partnership pillars:  Technical aspect: It's essential to stay close as your partner pivots to understand how their technology is evolving and where you can maximize your value. Go-to-market aspect: You need to have a deep understanding of each re