Guerrilla AI for Excel

You don't need a Copilot license, a new software budget, or a six-month AI rollout to work more effectively with AI in Excel. A surprising amount of fundamentals are already on your computer. Guerrilla AI for Excel is a free five-day live series built around one idea: Learn to work cleverly with the tools you already have. Each day consists of a focused 20-minute session based on a practical gain you can use that same afternoon. We will look at the machine learning functionalities that Excel has quietly had for years, the structural habits that make AI work better, the automation tools that reduce cleanup work, and the free tools that can help bridge the gap when you don't have a paid Copilot. The emphasis is consistently on practice. One demo per day, no full-fledged AI transformation plan required. What we will cover In five short sessions, you will see how Excel users can work like AI-powered analysts by using tools that may already be available. Day 1: The AI that is already hidden in your ExcelSee how Flash Fill, Analyze Data, and recommended PivotTables already leverage pattern recognition and machine learning to help you faster. Day 2: Make your data AI-readableTransform raw ranges into tidy Excel tables, use structured references, and make your workbook more interpretable for both humans and AI tools. Day 3: Clean data so AI doesn't lie to youUse Power Query to create repeatable, refreshable cleanup steps and avoid having to manually perform the same data preparation process every month. Day 4: A data science lab behind =PY()Use Python in Excel with pandas and visualization tools to extend what you can do in the workbook, helped by free chatbots when you need code. Day 5: Markdown, the language AI speaksLearn a small amount of Markdown syntax that clarifies prompts, makes chatbot outputs easier to reuse, and facilitates data exchange between Excel and AI tools. What this series is ✔ Five live sessions of 20 minutes✔ One focused demo per day✔ Practical Excel and AI techniques you can use immediately✔ Designed for individuals who may not have a paid Copilot✔ Focused on finance, FP&A, operations, reporting, and everyday analytical work✔ Sample files included for registered participants Recordings will be added to the membership afterwards. What this series is not ✖ A five-day coding bootcamp✖ A sales pitch to buy more software✖ A generic tour of AI features✖ A promise that every Excel problem needs AI✖ An in-depth technical certification course The whole point is to better recognize what you can already do, which tool goes where, and when AI actually adds something useful. Who it is designed for This series is aimed at professionals who already regularly use Excel and want to understand how AI fits into the work they are already doing. It may be especially useful if you have ever: • Wondered what you can do without a paid Copilot license • Spent too much time cleaning exported data • Created workbooks that are hard for others or AI tools to interpret • Wanted to try Python without installing a separate development environment • Used ChatGPT or another chatbot but struggled to get useful outputs • Heard endless AI hype and wanted something practical • Suspected that the best solution to your problem might already be in Excel Typical participants are financial analysts, FP&A professionals, operations teams, business analysts, reporting teams, Excel power users, and managers responsible for recurring spreadsheet processes. What you need A current version of Excel. The majority of the series uses features integrated into Microsoft 365, and two of the days, Analyze Data on Day 1 and Python in Excel on Day 4, specifically require a Microsoft 365 subscription. You will not need Copilot at any time. If you have an older perpetual version like Excel 2019 or 2021, you can still follow along with much of the series, although the features available only in Microsoft 365 will not be accessible to you. Logistics • Five live online sessions, Monday to Friday • Scheduled for 12:00 PM Eastern each day • Approximately 20 minutes per session • No cost to attend the live event • Sample files will be provided to registered participants • Recordings will be added to the membership afterwards As I also conduct training and consulting for clients, an occasional session may need to be rescheduled. Registered participants will be informed in advance of any changes in schedule, and each session will be recorded. If you have been waiting for your company to buy Copilot before figuring out what AI means for your Excel work, this series should provide you with enough material to work with in the meantime.