# Marianne Tansley

## Pages

- [Thank You - Discovery Intensive](https://www.mariannetansley.com/thank-you-discovery-intensive)
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- [Thrive Recommends](https://www.mariannetansley.com/recommendations)
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- [About](https://www.mariannetansley.com/about)
- [Contact](https://www.mariannetansley.com/contact)
- [Home](https://www.mariannetansley.com/): Marianne Tansley is a Systems Strategist, providing expert support and assistance in identifying and building the systems and workflows that suit you, your organisation, and your client needs. All using tools inside Microsoft 365.

## Blog

- [3 simple flows to set up in Power Automate](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/3-simple-flows) by Marianne Tansley (Aug 3, 2025): Get started with Power Automate using 3 simple flows to save time, cut admin, and automate everyday tasks - no tech skills needed.
- [Planner v To Do v Tasks in Teams: Which one's right for you](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/planner-todo-tasks) by Marianne Tansley (Jul 1, 2025): Feeling overwhelmed by all the task tools in Microsoft 365? This practical guide breaks down Planner, To Do, and Tasks in Teams with real examples and simple advice to help you choose what works for you.
- [Why Microsoft Teams is a no-brainer for your business](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/teams-no-brainer) by Marianne Tansley (Jun 2, 2025): Tired of inbox ping-pong? Here are 4 straight-up ways Microsoft Teams cuts clutter, kills "final-V8" file drama, and turbo-charges daily productivity.
- [PowerPoint versus Canva: Which one wins at presenting](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/ppt-vs-canva) by Marianne Tansley (May 1, 2025): Canva looks great, but PowerPoint gets the job done. This no-fluff guide shows you how to choose (or combine) the two for killer presentations that actually work - online and offline.
- [Make your data dazzle in Microsoft Excel](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/excel-data-dazzle) by Marianne Tansley (Apr 1, 2025): Discover the features you should be using to transform messy Excel spreadsheets into clear, professional, and visually appealing data presentations. Boost productivity, simplify collaboration, and impress your colleagues by making your data dazzle in Excel
- [Why Word?](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/why-word) by Marianne Tansley (Mar 1, 2025): As an admin professional or virtual assistant, the documents you create need to be polished, professional, and easy to collaborate on. With so many tools available, how do you choose the right one? In this post, I compare Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Canva to determine which is the best tool for creating structured, professional documents. Read on to discover why Word is the ultimate choice for admin professionals. And how you can master it
- [Your guide to sharing Microsoft Forms: Quick, Simple and Effective](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/sharing-microsoft-forms) by Marianne Tansley (Feb 1, 2025): Discover three simple ways to share your completed Microsoft Forms so you can collect responses with ease! No matter what type of audience you want to reach, this guide breaks it all down. Perfect for admin professionals and small business owners looking to streamline their workflows.
- [Getting started with automation in Microsoft 365](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/automation-in-m365) by Marianne Tansley (Jan 3, 2025): Discover how to streamline your workload using the automation tools built into Microsoft 365. This post looks at the benefits of automation using tools like PowerAutomate to create simple workflows, as well as the built-in automation features in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook that can make your day-to-day tasks more efficient. 
- [3 'Hidden' gems inside your Microsoft 365 subscription](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/3-hidden-gems) by Marianne Tansley (Dec 1, 2024): Your Microsoft 365 subscription is packed with powerful tools that can easily go unnoticed. In this post, discover three 'hidden' apps - Microsoft To Do, Forms, and Planner - that are easy to use, quick to implement, and will save you time, reduce stress, and streamline your workflow. 
- [Streamline your inbox with Outlook rules](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/streamline-with-outlook-rules) by Marianne Tansley (Oct 31, 2024): Think of Outlook rules as automated instructions for your inbox. It's like having your own personal email assistant, sorting and managing your messages behind the scenes. Let's take a closer look at how setting up rules in Microsoft Outlook can help you to save time, minimised distractions, and boos productivity.
- [A beginner's guide to Sharepoint](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/beginner-guide-sharepoint) by Marianne Tansley (Oct 1, 2024): In today's fast-paced digital world, staying organised and connected is key to ensuring your workday runs smoothly. SharePoint is a powerful tool designed to help you do just that - whether you are part of a small team or a larger organisation.  But what exactly IS SharePoint, and why should you consider using it? 
- [Streamline your workflow: 3 Microsoft Bookings features you need to know!](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/3-bookings-features) by Marianne Tansley (Sep 2, 2024)
- [Clipchamp: Elevate your video editing with Microsoft 365](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/introducing-clipchamp) by Marianne Tansley (Aug 1, 2024): Microsoft 365 is such a versatile hub for all of your business operation processes. Today, we're going to dive into a powerful addition to your existing subscription: Clipchamp.
- [Lists versus Planner - which suits you best?](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/lists-vs-planner) by Marianne Tansley (Jul 1, 2024): Step into the world of effortless project management! Unpack Lists and Planner, and choose the perfect fit for your workflow. Whether you’re a structured thinker or a visual planner, I've got the insights to make your decision a breeze.
- [Streamline your workflow: Create clear Flowcharts with PowerPoint](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/ppt-clear-flowcharts) by Marianne Tansley (May 2, 2024): Flowcharts got you flustered? Conquer complex processes with this easy guide from Thrive! Create stunning flowcharts to wow your audience, without taking on any new software or jargon, thanks to Microsoft PowerPoint.
- [Presentations with Pizzazz: Live Polling with Microsoft Forms](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/presentations-with-pizzazz) by Marianne Tansley (Apr 1, 2024): Dreading flat presentations?  This is the blog post for you! See how you can ignite audience engagement with Live Polling in Microsoft Forms!  Get real-time feedback & ditch paper surveys forever.  
- [5 ninja hacks to conquer Outlook](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/5-outlook-ninja-hacks) by Marianne Tansley (Feb 27, 2024): In this post, I’m going to share 5 insider tips to help you manage the overwhelm that comes with email overload, so you can work more efficiently in Outlook, and get your inbox under control!
- [When is a Teams Meeting NOT a Teams Meeting?](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/94649-not-a-teams-meeting) by Marianne Tansley (Feb 13, 2024): Are you using Microsoft Teams for your business meetings, but know that there’s more you could be doing? This post will help you to understand the different types of meetings available in Teams (Meetings, Webinars and Town Halls) so that you can make the right choice for your own sessions, and get the best engagement and productivity from your attendees.
- [Elevate your business with these time-saving Microsoft Word features](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/word-time-saving-feature) by Marianne Tansley (Jan 10, 2024): As a working virtual admin, and service-based business, I completely understand the challenges of wearing all the hats - from managing client work to keeping on top of my own business back-end. Today, I wanted to share with you some of the wonders inside Microsoft Word, a familiar tool in most businesses. Specifically, let's delve deeper into three standard automations: Document Protection, Quick Parts, and Smart Lookup.
- [Master your inbox: 3 reasons to use Out of Office in Microsoft Outlook](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/outlook-ooo-3reasons) by Marianne Tansley (Dec 7, 2023)
- [Automate & simplify your workload with PowerAutomate](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/simplify-powerautomate) by Marianne Tansley (Oct 22, 2023): Get a clear understanding of what PowerAutomate is, how it works, and most importantly, how you can get started without any coding or tech-stress.
- [Automate with AutoText in Word](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/autotext-in-word) by Marianne Tansley (Oct 3, 2023): Want to know a secret? Some of the best automations you can make in your business are the littlest ones.

And you can start today - with one of my favourite hacks of all: AutoText in Microsoft Word!
- [From Chaos to Calm: Using Microsoft Teams to transform your business (and sanity!)](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/chaos-to-calm-teams-features) by Marianne Tansley (Sep 5, 2023): Let’s talk about how Microsoft Teams can be your saviour! AND save you some money to boot! If you’re already rocking a Microsoft 365 business subscription, you have got access to some fantastic features inside this fab program.
- [From meh to memorable: 5 top branding tips using Microsoft 365](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/meh-to-memorable) by Marianne Tansley (Jul 3, 2023): Are you ready to unleash the power of your brand elements using Microsoft 365? Let's dive into 5 different Microsoft programs and explore how you can easily make your brand message shine even brighter ... without too much extra work for you!
- [Viewing and Analysing Results in Microsoft Forms](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/analyse-results-forms) by Marianne Tansley (Jun 20, 2023): If you have ever used Microsoft Forms to create a survey, quiz, or poll, you may not realise how easy it is to access and understand the responses you receive. In this blog post, I’m explaining how the results from a Microsoft Form are displayed and available, and why you should use them to interrogate your form submissions.
- [Enhance your productivity with Tracked Changes in Microsoft Word](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/tracked-changes-word) by Marianne Tansley (Jun 14, 2023): In this blog post, I'm exploring the power of the Tracked Changes feature in Microsoft Word. By making use of this feature, you can work collaboratively within a single document, eliminating the hassle and frustration of multiple versions, as well as ensuring a streamlined editing process.
- [OneDrive versus Dropbox - A Thrive Review](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/onedrive-vs-dropbox-review) by Marianne Tansley (Mar 15, 2023): When it comes to online file sharing and cloud storage, two names come to mind: Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox. But how do you choose the right one for your business?
- [Meet Microsoft Word - again!](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/meet-word-again) by Marianne Tansley (Feb 23, 2023): This blog post will re-introduce you to Microsoft Word, including some of the awesome features you can start using right now to work smarter, and save time and energy in your biz!
- [Microsoft Teams vs Zoom - A Thrive Review](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/teams-vs-zoom) by Marianne Tansley (Jul 28, 2022): If you have had a call with me, or attended any of my workshops or webinars, you will have accessed Teams so you might be familiar with this app. But what is it exactly, and how does it compare to Zoom?
- [Microsoft 365 Updates](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/microsoft-365-updates) by Marianne Tansley (May 11, 2022): This blog post is regularly updated with announcements from Microsoft regarding updates, features and rollouts in the Microsoft 365 suite of products. Bookmark this post so you can stay up to date with the latest news, without all the jargon, thanks to Thrive Admin Services.
- [5 Ways to Impress Clients Using Microsoft 365](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/ways-to-impress-clients-m365) by Marianne Tansley (Apr 13, 2022): 5 ways to ease your workload and impress clients, using features and tools that are already available to you in your Microsoft 365 Business subscription!
- [What is a business toolkit?](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/business-toolkit) by Marianne Tansley (Mar 5, 2022): Take a look at what documents and tools make up Thrive's business toolkit, and learn how it helps me to work smarter every day!
- [How to Manage Projects using Microsoft 365](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/66536-manage-projects-using-microsoft365) by Marianne Tansley (Feb 6, 2022): See how you can manage your client projects using Sharepoint, OneDrive and Planner in Microsoft 365
- [The 8 things your Microsoft Word invoice must include](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/64160-things-your-invoice-must-include) by Marianne Tansley (Jan 6, 2022): Learn how to create a compliant Australian invoice, using Microsoft Word or Excel
- [How to share links in OneDrive](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/63163-share-links-onedrive) by Marianne Tansley (Nov 30, 2021): Make sure you can share links to content in Microsoft OneDrive with people outside your organisation, using these easy steps
- [5 tips for working with Contacts in Microsoft Outlook](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/five-tips-outlook-contacts) by Marianne Tansley (Nov 24, 2021): Learn how to manage your contacts in Outlook, so you can get more out of your Microsoft 365 subscription
- [Thriving Business - Income Tracking Tool](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61738-thriving-business-income-tracking-tool) by Marianne Tansley (Oct 27, 2021): Come behind the scenes at ThriveHQ, and see how I use Microsoft Excel to track my income, and allocate funds to meet my obligations
- [Thriving Documents: Safety First! How to protect your Microsoft Word documents](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61737-thriving-documents-safety-first) by Marianne Tansley (Aug 24, 2021): Are you protecting your documents from 'accidental' edits? You absolutely should be!
- [Why your business documents matter!](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/business-documents-matter) by Marianne Tansley (Aug 22, 2021): Learn the 5 business documents every service based business should have in place, and 3 simple ways you can take them to the next level!
- [3 Easy Ways to Brand Your Documents](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61735-easy-ways-to-brand-documents) by Marianne Tansley (Aug 7, 2021): Make sure you are maximising every opportunity to reinforce your branding with clients, by following these 3 easy steps
- [Working Smarter Series: Fields in Word](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61734-working-smarter-series-fields) by Marianne Tansley (Jun 29, 2021)
- [Working Smarter Series: Styles](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/working-smarter-styles) by Marianne Tansley (Jun 21, 2021)
- [Working Smarter Series: Paragraph](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61732-working-smarter-paragraph) by Marianne Tansley (May 29, 2021)
- [Working Smarter Series: Font](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61731-working-smarter-series-font) by Marianne Tansley (May 16, 2021)
- [Working Smarter Series: Clipboard](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61730-working-smarter-clipboard) by Marianne Tansley (May 6, 2021)
- [New Post Series: Working Smarter in Word](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61729-new-post-series-working-smarter-in-word) by Marianne Tansley (May 1, 2021)
- [Thrive's Top Tips - Formatting Marks in Word](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61728-top-tips-formatting-marks) by Marianne Tansley (Apr 22, 2021)
- [Thrive's Top Tips: Tame those Tables!](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61707-thrives-top-tips-tame-those-tables) by Marianne Tansley (Jan 28, 2021)
- [It's our first birthday!](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61708-its-our-first-birthday) by Marianne Tansley (Jan 14, 2021)
- [2020 - A reflection](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61709-a-reflection) by Marianne Tansley (Dec 16, 2020)
- [Thrive's Top Tips: Say it with Styles](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61710-thrives-top-tips-say-it-with-styles) by Marianne Tansley (Nov 18, 2020)
- [Thrive's Top Tips - Word Templates](https://www.mariannetansley.com/blog/61712-thrives-top-tips-word-templates) by Marianne Tansley (Nov 10, 2020)

## Products

- [Microsoft Coaching Packages](https://www.mariannetansley.com/products/211231-Microsoft-Coaching-Packages): 
- [Systems Foundations: Save don't Spend (Lifetime Access)](https://www.mariannetansley.com/products/254253-Systems-Foundations-Save-dont-Spend)
- [Systems Sprint - September 2026](https://www.mariannetansley.com/sprint)
- [Systems that run without you](https://www.mariannetansley.com/products/259234-Systems-that-run-without-you)
- [Systems that run without you](https://www.mariannetansley.com/free-masterclass)
- [Systems Sprint - December 2026](https://www.mariannetansley.com/sprint)
- [Perth In-Person Workshops](https://www.mariannetansley.com/in-person-workshops)