• The Workbook
  • Posts
  • The tip that got me worldwide press 🌎

The tip that got me worldwide press 🌎

Plus: How to insert a message box in Excel

March 28, 2024

Hey hey! Greetings from Sedona, Arizona. 🏜️ I’m currently putting the finishing touches on my new place as construction wraps up.

I couldn’t be more excited to move back in and settle down so I can focus on creating content and courses for you! 

Speaking of…stay tuned for our new webinars coming this April. They’ll cover our *most* highly requested topic–you won’t want to miss this one. 👀

Spotify x Miss Excel

Calling all UK readers! 

Spotify is rolling out education courses in the UK, and your girl is on the roster. Introducing Adventures in Excel: Road Trip Edition! đŸš™

In this mini course, we’ll go through powerful Excel shortcuts, function combos, and other time-saving hacks. 

After just one hour, you’ll reach your dream destination: A place where you’re confident in your Excel capabilities and use them to impress your co-workers and boss (and land that promotion 😉). 

* While this course is only available in the UK, it should hit other countries soon–we’ll keep you posted! 

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Message Box in Excel 

Did you know you could leave messages in your Excel spreadsheet…with barely any code required? 

Want to create a box like this in Excel? Keep reading!

Introducing: MsgBox function. 

This built-in tool lets you place pop-up messages on your spreadsheet, which can: 

  • Welcome your clients to your spreadsheet with a welcome message. 

  • Nudge your boss about an upcoming deadline before they assess your spreadsheet. 

  • Encourage your co-workers to double-check their work before they run a macro. 

To create a message box, you’ll need something called ✨ VBA âœ¨ (Visual Basic for Applications). Let me show you how: 

Step 1) Press ALT + F11. This is the shortcut to open the VBA editor. To do this manually, go to the Developer tab and select Visual Basic. 

Step 2) Click Insert to add Module. 

Step 3) I want to make a message box with a “Yes” and “No” option. So, I’d insert the following code: 

SUB Training()

MSGBOX “Would you like a free hour of Excel training?”, vbYesNo, “Training”

End SUB

Explanation: 💡 Our prompt is in the quotations, while the commas contain the button type. To see all the different types of button argument settings, go to the official Microsoft list! 

Step 4) Press F5 to run the message box and you’re done! 

P.S: We’re announcing our free Excel live trainings next week! If you’d like to be the first to know when the dates go live, sign up here.

The Mindset Tip That Got Me into 50+ Global News Outlets 

In 2021, I was trying to get press coverage of Miss Excel. It was a small company, and getting the word out through global outlets was key to reaching more people and making a bigger impact. But I had no idea how to get press coverage. 

The kicker? I didn’t need to know. Instead of wasting time trying to figure out the “how,” I started saying yes to all opportunities that might lead me to my desired outcome. 

For instance: When I received a cold email from Nilay Patel, the lead producer of The Verge’s Decoder podcast, I agreed to record an episode—even though this wasn’t the “global news outlet” I’d envisioned. 

The podcast went live in November…and seemingly overnight, news outlets from around the world–CNBC, Forbes, Wired, and more–picked up the story. I never pitched directly to these publications—honestly, I never learned how. But even without that knowledge, I got to my desired outcome.  

This 🤌 is the power of releasing focus on the “how” and trusting the process. 

This tip can help in so many other scenarios, too: 

  • Finding a Job: Instead of sending rĂŠsumĂŠs all day, you agree to go on coffee chats with whoever asks (even with people outside your industry!)...and happen to connect with the hiring manager of your dream role. 

  • Getting a Promotion: Instead of being the first to show up to the office (and last to leave), you start saying “yes” to cross-functional projects…and end up impressing your boss. 

  • Landing a Dream Client: Instead of refusing to collaborate with a client that’s outside your niche, you do the job—and that byline ends up grabbing the attention of your dream client. 

The journey is different for every person and every business. But the key is ditching your obsession with the “how” and saying yes to opportunities. Chances are, the path to your destination will look far different than you ever could’ve envisioned.

  • The second ✌️ way I was able to land free press with Forbes, CNBC, and more! 

  • Here’s that podcast episode I did with Nilay Patel on how I manifested my way to success. 

  • Hours and minutes won’t sum correctly? This tip will add two times together in a breeze. 

  • ICYMI: You can create a beautiful newsletter in Outlook (yes, really!). 

  • Learn the energetics of business in 11 seconds flat. 

A shout-out to PowerBI pro, which has remained at a flat $10 a month for 8 years…amidst a 29.3% inflation rate. 

In honor of this software standing the test of time, use the code POWER15 for a 15% discount on my PowerBI course to learn how to build beautiful data visualizations. 💫

Stay Exceling,

Kat