I’ve been teaching classes in Microsoft Excel since 2009, and in that time, I’ve learned a lot myself. I’ve leveled up my Excel game for sure (and so has Microsoft in the last few years, to be honest) but most importantly I’ve evolved how I teach it and what I put into my lessons.

In February 2020 a co-worker of mine—a division head with about 80 employees under him—asked if I would teach a class geared specifically towards the needs of his team. We talked about it, agreed on a syllabus and a schedule, and prepared to announce the class. And then the pandemic hit.

About a month into working from home, that same colleague asked whether I could still offer the Excel class, which he felt was vital to his team’s success. I said I was iffy on live virtual classes but suggested I could convert the class into a series of video lessons that his team could work through at their own pace. He agreed, and thus was born Everything you always wanted to know about Excel…But were afraid to ask.

Over the course of the next few months, I took our original 12-class syllabus and turned it into 11 lessons ranging from 30 to 60 minutes in length. The class was a resounding success with the team.

In the years since then, numerous colleagues, friends, and family have asked if they could take the Excel course as well. Ultimately, I decided to launch a YouTube channel to house the class (edited and broken down into shorter lessons), with the ambition of including comprehensive tutorials on additional features in the future. While the channel remains a work in progress, you can check it out now at https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingAboutExcel.