I can’t believe I’m sitting here writing the preface to my book! After the most intense six months of my career, it feels good to be at the finish line. Working on this book, I learned that I still enjoy technical writing and I still love SharePoint—and now that I’m finished, I’m remembering how much I love sleep!

What prompted me to write a book?

This book started in 2004, when I first began working with SharePoint 2003. I had been hired as a SharePoint Instructor for Mindsharp, where I was mentored by Todd Bleeker, MVP. It was Todd who inspired me to write this book. No one has a greater passion for technology and SharePoint than Todd, and watching him write several books motivated me to write my own.

The other motivating factor was my love of research. That’s what I enjoy most about my career choice—taking a problem and researching the solution. SharePoint is a gargantuan product: there’s an incredible amount to learn, which has made my career and writing this book fulfilling. Digging into the depths of SharePoint workflows was a boatload of fun.

After working at Mindsharp, I moved into consulting. I first dived into Share-Point workflows on a project with RBA Consulting, implementing a Visual Studio workflow solution that managed the company’s business projects and initiatives. The trifecta of Visual Studio workflows, SharePoint, and InfoPath sparked my excitement for this technology.

SharePoint workflows are one of the most prevalent ROI-generating features in the SharePoint project stack. After this first round of workflow experiences, I began to see the applicability of workflows in almost every company where I consulted. And most companies have manual business processes that can stand to benefit from SharePoint workflows.

After taking this passion from company to company and building countless workflows, I realized that my experiences were source material for a book. With SharePoint 2010 on the horizon, the timing was perfect; and in May 2009, I submitted my proposal to Manning. Now, all I can say is, “The rest is history!”