Category Archives: Dreamforce

A Community Mourns, A Community Remembers – A Tribute to Tami Esling

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When I think back to the day I first met Tami, I recall immediately feeling like I had know her all my life. Her amazing smile was contagious and anyone who was in conversation with her quickly found themselves smiling as well. Tami and I met at the MVP Summit in 2015, shortly after she was named a Salesforce MVP. It was a great pleasure to meet her in person, and after having so many online interactions with her, I felt like I already knew her well.

Professionally, Tami worked for SaaS Consulting Group with a focus on directing clients and colleagues towards Salesforce education and training to help them get the most out of their Salesforce implementation. She was a firm believer that with the proper education and training that anyone could accomplish big things. Unlike some, she also practiced what she preached. Tami held five Salesforce Certifications.

Tami certs

Tami was a giver too. She was the “mother hen” for all things Salesforce in Austin, TX. She led the Austin Salesforce User group. She was an active member in the Austin Women in Tech group, and a passionate champion of Salesforce Saturday. Anytime there was anything Salesforce going on in Austin, you could find Tami there. She volunteered her time to help others in the Salesforce Community get better educated, and hopefully well prepared so that they could successfully become a Salesforce Certified individual too. I decided to make the commitment of 15 weeks and join the online Certification Study Group that Tami was leading in late 2014. It was through the interactions in the group where I really got to see Tami shine. She skillfully facilitated the online study group, week after week, drawing out the best of everyone involved through thoughtful insights above and beyond the assigned homework. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t the “let it ride, let everyone through” kind of person. She was tough on the people who were not prepared each week, and called them out the next week, to make sure they were doing the homework and sticking to the commitments they made when signing up for the study group.  I should know, I was probably one of her “bad” students. I had a hard time keeping up with the homework, and missed a class or two, and paid the ultimate price for that, in that I was unsuccessful when I attempted the Certified Administrator exam. Notice I did not say that I failed, because I firmly believe that Wayne Gretzky explained that best.

gretzky

In December of 2015, I featured Tami in my “I’m the (Kevin) Bacon of the Salesforce Community” blog series. It was great fun working with Tami to recall all our interactions together, and to learn more about her background, how she got started in the Salesforce Ecosystem, etc. I asked the standard questions, including “What’s more important: Who you know, or What you know?” I will never forget Tami’s reply. She said: ‘If you’re in the Salesforce Community, then you probably “know” Eric Dreshfield. That is how it all began.’ That was the first time I truly felt speechless!

There was one other question from that blog post where Tami’s response was quite surprising to me. When I asked “What’s one fact about you that few people know, that would surprise me?” To that question Tami replied, ” I have skydived and plan to take another jump in 2016.” Wow! I sure was surprised by that answer.

Tami events

As we all struggle to find a way to deal with the hole left in our hearts, and in the community due to Tami’s untimely passing, I think it’s only fitting to share some words that her friends in the Success Community stated upon hearing the sad news.

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Thank you for everything, Tami. You are truly an inspiration to many and your spirit will remain alive in the Success Community as long as one person whose life you touched is there.

Tami Esling. Wife. Mother. Mentor. Coach. Friend.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to American Heart Association  This form asks you to complete a memorial card, please choose mail card and send to: Walter Esling, 14833 Irondale Dr., Austin, TX 78717

I’m the (Kevin) Bacon of the Salesforce Community – Introducing Taylor Moore

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This is the twenty-seventh post in my blog series in which I will feature people I know from the community: Salesforce employees, MVPs, User Group Leaders, Partners, and honestly, anyone who I’m connected with who is willing to share with me the answers to five simple questions. I hoping that this blog series will help everyone out in the community get better connected to others who are either like them, can help them, are nothing like them, can’t help them, or are simply people they haven’t met yet! After all, a stranger is simply a friend you don’t know yet.

For me, one of the greatest strengths of the Salesforce Ecosystem is its people and the connections that are shared.

So, if you are brave enough, even if you’ve never met me in person, fill out this form and I’ll feature you in an upcoming post. (In case I have confused anyone, the questions on the form about our relationship refers to you, the reader, and me, the author, Eric Dreshfield, and not the featured person in this post.) Just beware, by completing the form, you are giving me permission to use that information in a future post, as well as allowing me to interject some of my own thoughts into your responses!

And now I introduce Taylor Moore.

taylor headshot

What’s your job title? Marketing Manager at McLarens. (EFD – In case you don’t know McLarens, they are a global claims services provider that helps clients achieve timely and equitable claims resolution. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company has offices strategically located around the world.)

What does that mean you do? I ensure our global brands’ messaging is streamlined through various marketing media: social, digital, print, press, promotional (swag!), and ads. I most enjoy working with my international colleagues to learn about how the local language(s) and culture impacts our messaging so we can ensure our communication is relevant and meaningful. As it relates to Salesforce.com, I serve as a pseudo-admin and work with our sales team to maintain an environment that highlights their hard work & customer wins. (EFD – Does anyone ever really wear just one hat professionally? I don’t think so, and with all the engagement through social channels and the Salesforce Community, I think the line between professional and personal life gets rather blurry. Oh, and swag? Did someone say swag?)

How long have you been involved with Salesforce.com (as a customer and/or an employee)? I’ve been a Salesforce customer since 2012. (EFD – 2012…that was the year Red Hot Chili Peppers played at Dreamforce. I missed that concert, but I’m sure it was fantastic. Taylor told me she would have loved to see RHCP and she missed it too. She also said she was in Kindgergarten when they were a big thing. And to think, I felt like RHCP was a group my kids would like. #SomeoneIsFeelingOldNow)

Bacon or sausage? Bacon!  While I must admit that I try to stick to low sodium turkey bacon (what’s the point, right?!) Bacon is at its BEST when it’s cooked in a cast-iron skillet #SouthernStyle (EFD – Oh yeah!!! #DownHomeCookin)

What’s more important: Who you know, or what you know? Who you know…I’m early in my career and have many people to thank for getting me to where I am today. Networking is so important, both in and out of your own area of expertise. Pay it forward 🙂 (EFD – YES! Another one who really understands the power of the community! Pay it forward, people! The feeling you get from helping others is incredible!)

How did our relationship start, and when?  Wow, we met in the Atlanta airport on the way to Dreamforce ’13..THEN again on the sidewalk in San Francisco pre- or post- AppBash maybe?! (EFD – Yes! Truly a great story here. I was on my layover in Atlanta on my way to DF13, and posted in what we called the Dreamforce App back then, something like this: “In Atlanta’s airport on my way to Dreamforce. I’m at gate xx, anyone want to chat?  I should be easy to find with my classic red Salesforce MVP Rickshaw bag.” And literally, within 2 minutes, I hear this voice saying “Are you Eric?”  And that’s how Taylor and I met.  Later that week, late in the evening, while walking towards the App Bash at the Metreon, I spotted her at the corner of 4th & Mission and casually walked up to her and said, “Hi Taylor.”  Her reaction was priceless….out of the 50,000 or so people at Dreamforce, what are the chances of running into one you know?)

And now the bonus question – What’s one fact about you that few people know, that will surprise me and my blog readers? I’m not sure about your blog readers, but Eric, you might be surprised that I lean towards being an introvert. (EFD – Yep, I do find that rather surprising!)

You can find Taylor on Twitter.

I’m the (Kevin) Bacon of the Salesforce Community – Introducing Guillermo Pedroni

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This is the twenty-sixth post in my blog series in which I will feature people I know from the community: Salesforce employees, MVPs, User Group Leaders, Partners, and honestly, anyone who I’m connected with who is willing to share with me the answers to five simple questions. I hoping that this blog series will help everyone out in the community get better connected to others who are either like them, can help them, are nothing like them, can’t help them, or are simply people they haven’t met yet! After all, a stranger is simply a friend you don’t know yet.


For me, one of the greatest strengths of the Salesforce Ecosystem is its people and the connections that are shared.

So, if you are brave enough, even if you’ve never met me in person, fill out this form and I’ll feature you in an upcoming post. (In case I have confused anyone, the questions on the form about our relationship refers to you, the reader, and me, the author, Eric Dreshfield, and not the featured person in this post.) Just beware, by completing the form, you are giving me permission to use that information in a future post, as well as allowing me to interject some of my own thoughts into your responses!

And now I introduce the Salesforce Certified Administrator and leader of the Orange County User Group, Guillermo Pedroni.

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What’s your job title? Senior CRM Applications Manager, Telogis (EFD – So you manage CRM applications? What’s the difference between that and an Administrator?)

What does that mean you do? I manage all things Salesforce related within my organization. We are a wall to wall Salesforce shop. I manage a team of 6, as well as a managed services team off site to keep my day busy. I work with my developers and system admins to listen, guide them and help develop all our internal processes within a multitude of departments. We use Salesforce within literally all departments globally and we develop various process within each department. I provide guidance on all Salesforce related business processes, architect and help deploy these projects. Some days are full of meetings while other days are full of execution. (EFD – Oh…I get it now. You’re like the Owl from the old Tootsie Pop commercials, you are the person who knows all the answers to all the question, or if you don’t know, you do the research and find the answer.)

How long have you been involved with Salesforce.com (as a customer and/or an employee)? I’ve been playing within the Salesforce ecosystem for the last 9 years. I was lucky enough to be in consulting for a while helping other customers implement and expand their usage of the Force.com platform, which really opened my eyes to its full potential. I’ve also lived in a few Salesforce shops as an employee within these orgs further expanding and breaking the image that Salesforce was just a “Sales” tool. (EFD – Wait, you mean Salesforce isn’t just a sales automation tool? Wow, who knew! #Sarcasm, but that’s a real pre-conceived notion for some people.)

Bacon or sausage? Can’t I have both?  Don’t make me decide, but if the zombie Apocalypse comes, definitely bacon!

What’s more important: Who you know, or what you know? Both really. Who you know gets you to figure out what you may know, or need to know. But what you actually know can open you up to who you can or should know. Like all things, you need to balance. (EFD – So that’s a “who” because it leads to the “what” which takes you to “who” that helps you discover “what”? Uh…wow. My head hurts now. Can your draw me a picture?)

How did our relationship start, and when? We met virtually probably in early 2014 via the Success Community and User Group Leaders Community. But we actually met in the real world @ Midwest Dreamin’ 2014! From there, the Salesforce bubble closed in on us more and more even as it expanded. (EFD – I think we may have met in person at a User Group Leader event at Dreamforce 2013, but after the headache I got from the previous question, and you talking about bubbles closing in as they expand, I’m not sure if anything anymore. Now where did I put my Tylenol?)

And now the bonus question – What’s one fact about you that few people know, that will surprise me and my blog readers? Can I cheat and put a few? I’m a brown belt in Aikido, which is a martial art that use indirect motion to deflect and disarm opponents. It’s less about hitting and hurting and more about deflection (but it can really hurt too!). I’ve almost died a couple times before my life as Salesforce person. The two most exciting stories would have been almost falling down a few thousand feet of mountain side after a rock slide I caused, only to be save by my uncle who pulled on my shirt and pulled me up. Then another time that I almost got lost on a Volcano when I was a kid. Both incidents were while I was traveling to Mexico, which my family did every other summer. I also do pro bono work twice a year for 2 random nonprofits to give back to the Salesforce community. (EFD – I’m sure I am not the only one who is glad you didn’t die, and thanks for the pro bono work! There are so many nonprofits out there that could really benefit from using Salesforce, but many of them don’t have the resources to make Salesforce work right for them.)

You can find Guillermo on Twitter.

I’m the (Kevin) Bacon of the Salesforce Community – Introducing Andy Boettcher

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This is the twenty-fifth post in my blog series in which I will feature people I know from the community: Salesforce employees, MVPs, User Group Leaders, Partners, and honestly, anyone who I’m connected with who is willing to share with me the answers to five simple questions. I hoping that this blog series will help everyone out in the community get better connected to others who are either like them, can help them, are nothing like them, can’t help them, or are simply people they haven’t met yet! After all, a stranger is simply a friend you don’t know yet.

For me, one of the greatest strengths of the Salesforce Ecosystem is its people and the connections that are shared.

So, if you are brave enough, even if you’ve never met me in person, fill out this form and I’ll feature you in an upcoming post. (In case I have confused anyone, the questions on the form about our relationship refers to you, the reader, and me, the author, Eric Dreshfield, and not the featured person in this post.)  Just beware, by completing the form, you are giving me permission to use that information in a future post, as well as allowing me to interject some of my own thoughts into your responses!

And now I introduce Certified Salesforce Administrator and Force.com Developer, Salesforce MVP, and co-leader of the Minnesota Developer Group, Andy Boettcher.

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What’s your job title? Chief Architect, Demand Chain Systems (EFD – Back when I was going to college, Architects designed buildings. Now I think it’s safe to say Architects build designs…for systems.)

What does that mean you do? My role as Chief Architect at Demand Chain Systems is a wide one – I end up working with prospects in a pre-sales solutioning capacity, with our clients in ideation/solutioning discussions, mentoring my team, and helping guide the company to the latest technologies and approaches. (EFD – Uh…is ideation a real word? It sounds like your job is to really help a lot of people figure out how to get things done.)

How long have you been involved with Salesforce.com (as a customer and/or an employee)? I’ve been on the platform for about 7 years, 5 years with Demand Chain Systems. (EFD – 7 years…that’s almost half of the entire Salesforce has existed. I bet you’ve seen a lot of growth and changes.)

Bacon or sausage?  It’s bacon, or nothing!

What’s more important: Who you know, or what you know?  It’s all about who you know and what they know. One person cannot know everything. (EFD – YES!!! One more for the “Who” side! )

How did our relationship start, and when? The MVP program brought us together back in 2013. (EFD – Ah yes…we both became MVPs in 2013. Seems like we may have had a user group leader connection somewhere in there too.)

And now the bonus question – What’s one fact about you that few people know, that will surprise me and my blog readers? I’m a certified BBQ judge. (EFD – Well, that’s interesting. I really enjoy eating BBQ. Just ask Dale Ziegler, Mark Ross, Jarrod Kingston & Jennifer Wobser. #BBQForce.)

You can find Andy on Twitter, and be sure to check out his blog too!

I’m the (Kevin) Bacon of the Salesforce Community – Introducing Curt Holtz

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This is the twenty-fourth post in my blog series in which I will feature people I know from the community: Salesforce employees, MVPs, User Group Leaders, Partners, and honestly, anyone who I’m connected with who is willing to share with me the answers to five simple questions. I hoping that this blog series will help everyone out in the community get better connected to others who are either like them, can help them, are nothing like them, can’t help them, or are simply people they haven’t met yet! After all, a stranger is simply a friend you don’t know yet.

For me, one of the greatest strengths of the Salesforce Ecosystem is its people and the connections that are shared.

So, if you are brave enough, even if you’ve never met me in person, fill out this form and I’ll feature you in an upcoming post. (In case I have confused anyone, the questions on the form about our relationship refers to you, the reader, and me, the author, Eric Dreshfield, and not the featured person in this post.)  Just beware, by completing the form, you are giving me permission to use that information in a future post, as well as allowing me to interject some of my own thoughts into your responses!

And now I introduce Certified Salesforce Administrator and Force.com Developer, Curt Holtz.

curt holtz

What’s your job title? Salesforce Administrator, USA Football. (EFD – No, really? What’s your job title? No one actually has Salesforce Administrator as their title, do they?)

What does that mean you do?  I manage the Salesforce org for a small nonprofit. I help our associates leverage the platform in ways that make them more productive and efficient. (EFD – USA Football? I guess that has something to do with what we call a pigskin, and not a soccer ball. I did some research: USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in the United States, hosts more than 100 football training events annually offering education for coaches, skill development for players and resources for youth football league commissioners. The independent nonprofit is the official youth football development partner of the NFL, its 32 teams and the NFL Players Association. Wow…that’s a cool organization!)

How long have you been involved with Salesforce.com (as a customer and/or an employee)? I’ve been on the platform for about 6 years. (EFD – That’s a decent amount of time…long enough to where you have seen a lot of changes, but not too long for it to get stale. Hmm…with the pace of innovation on the platform, I think it’s impossible for it to go stale!)

Bacon or sausage?  Can’t I have both?  Don’t make me decide!

What’s more important: Who you know, or what you know?  Who you know…every job that I have been offered over the past 10 years has been heavily tied to relationships that I have forged over that time.  Knowing your stuff is part of the equation, but being able to fit into a company’s culture is an even bigger part.  And it’s always pretty easy to fit in when you have an existing relationship at that organization (EFD – YES!!! One for the “Who” side! )

How did our relationship start, and when? My first exposure to you was via the Success Community and then we officially met when I made the drive from Indy down to the S. Indiana User Group in 2014.  Since then we have stayed in regular contact over various social channels. (EFD – I’m always thrilled to see people attend Southern Indiana meetings when they aren’t from Southern Indiana! It must mean I’m doing something right on how I run my meetings.)

And now the bonus question – What’s one fact about you that few people know, that will surprise me and my blog readers? I spent 6 years tearing down and rebuilding jet engines before I found my calling as a Salesforce Admin/Developer. (EFD – Small world here. When I read that secret about Curt I started asking questions. It turns out Curt and I both worked for the same airline, but I left a year before he started there.)

You can find Curt on Twitter and on LinkedIn.

Tahoe Dreamin’ – From Lake Michigan to Lake Tahoe

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I planned my trip to Tahoe Dreamin’ about a month before the event. I was looking forward to seeing how the Western US took my Midwest Dreamin’ concept from the big city of Chicago to the ski slopes and mountains of South Lake Tahoe. Just a few short weeks later, I had accepted my new role as Advocacy Manager for Apttus, which suddenly meant most of my Tahoe Dreamin’ experience would come from interactions with people who visited the Apttus booth in the expo.

From my own, somewhat selfish point of view, I was not looking forward to that because I thought it meant I would not have time to spend with all my friends from the Salesforce community. For once in my life I was absolutely thrilled to be wrong. In reality, it meant that I got to spend time with NEW friends during the event, then new & established friends after-hours.

The Salesforce community is what makes events like Tahoe Dreamin so amazing. This event was not organized by Salesforce, rather it was organized and run by a small group of Salesforce community members, a small but highly motivated and passionate group of Salesforce customers and partners led by Bill Greenhaw, a Salesforce MVP and Leader of the Sacramento User Group.

Because of my new role, I did not have the opportunity to see the keynote, given by Shawna Wolverton, Vice President of Product Management, Platform at Salesforce, and Adam Seligman, Senior Vice President, Developer Relations, Salesforce, because our booth was busy, which is most certainly a good thing! From what others told me it was a great session with some flair that many of us would normally associate with the one and only, Parker Harris, a.k.a. Lightning Man. The keynote had Shawna and Adam wearing some awesome snowsuits!

Adam and Shawna Snowsuits

One that the next day Samantha Ready wore on the slopes!

Samantha Snowsuit

But fun in the snow isn’t what Tahoe Dreamin’ was really all about.

You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out. You do the hokie poike and you turn yourself around, that’s what it all about! 

What Tahoe Dreamin’ was really all about was the Salesforce Community, making connections and sharing knowledge.

Liz Gladstone put it this way: “Tahoe Dreamin’ provided the inspiration and community that Dreamforce does but in a setting intimate enough to talk with every single person.”

Shonnah Hughes had this to say: “Take Aways: Volunteer if you can, Speak up, get to know someone you don’t already know, Go to the after the event parties or gather your own group to party, ask questions, take lots of pictures and have the mind set that you are there to learn and have fun!”

Cynthia Saalfeld said this: ” I loved it!  I liked how well distributed the sessions were, not too short and not too long with a good break time in between sessions giving you time to visit the vendors and partners.   Moreover, talking to the speakers was possible and much more intimate than Dreamforce.”

Stuart Edeal (who came to Tahoe all the way from Minnesota!) wrote his own blog post about Tahoe Dreamin’.  He summarized the event this way: Attend regional events, and volunteer if you can. Share your challenges & successes. Accept invites for lunch, coffee, walks, etc. Ask questions, set goals, and enjoy yourself!

A few other comments I heard were: “Great venue”; “Fabulous food”; “Well organized”; “A little smoky at times, but it was in a Casino, with awesome scenery!”; “Bill Greenhaw and his team did a fantastic job pulling the event together”

I guess it’s safe to say I feel a little bit like a proud grandfather, having just watched a grandchild succeed gracefully in his first piano recital. Great job, Team Tahoe Dreamin’! I hope this becomes an annual event!

I’m the (Kevin) Bacon of the Salesforce Community – Introducing Patrick Solum

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This is the twenty-second post in my blog series in which I will feature people I know from the community: Salesforce employees, MVPs, User Group Leaders, Partners, and honestly, anyone who I’m connected with who is willing to share with me the answers to five simple questions. I hoping that this blog series will help everyone out in the community get better connected to others who are either like them, can help them, are nothing like them, can’t help them, or are simply people they haven’t met yet! After all, a stranger is simply a friend you don’t know yet.

For me, one of the greatest strengths of the Salesforce Ecosystem is its people and the connections that are shared.

So, if you are brave enough, even if you’ve never met me in person, fill out this form and I’ll feature you in an upcoming post. (In case I have confused anyone, the questions on the form about our relationship refers to you, the reader, and me, the author, Eric Dreshfield, and not the featured person in this post.)  Just beware, by completing the form, you are giving me permission to use that information in a future post, as well as allowing me to interject some of my own thoughts into your responses!

And now I introduce Salesforce Certified Administrator, and co-leader of the South Dakota User Group, Patrick Solum.

patrick solum  sodakforce

 

What’s your job title? Marketing Director, Retail Data Systems (EFD – In case anyone is curious, Retail Data Systems is the largest provider of Point of Sale hardware and software in North America.  I suppose that means they are also the biggest POS in country.  Sorry, Patrick…sometimes my sense of humor filter goes unchecked. But then, you already knew that! )

What does that mean you do? My job is to at RDS is to build and launch marketing initiatives for our various offices.  These can be email, print, web etc.  Additionally I manage a small lead generation team and get to be a solo Salesforce admin for about 75 users  (EFD – Marketing. I used to wonder what that really meant. Now, with my latest job change – separate blog post coming very soon detailing that, I’m in Marketing too!)

How long have you been involved with Salesforce.com (as a customer and/or an employee)?   I have been in the Salesforce world since 2010.  (EFD – Seems like only yesterday, doesn’t it.  No, not really. There have been TONS of changes to the ecosystem in that short period of time. )

Bacon or sausage?  Can’t I have both? Don’t make me decide.

What’s more important: Who you know, or what you know?  Knowing where to find the answers and how to get them, no matter who has them or where they are. (EFD – So is that a “What” or a “Who”?  I feel a little like Whoopi Goldberg without the funky dance moves. #ExplicitLanguageWarning – not for those with “sensitive” ears.)  Some additional details from Patrick:  When starting with Salesforce 5 years ago in South Dakota there was really nobody around here to network with.  We were kind of the last frontier of salesforce so to speak.  By networking with others through The Nebraska Salesforce User Group (used to drive 2 1/2 hours one way to go to meetings) and the success community I found that connecting with others was my lifeline.  Early on, Brian Connell who mentored me in getting started, Steve Molis on answers, Mike Gerholdt on Button Click and many others I met online and at Dreamforce, too numerous to mention, these were my lifelines.   What stood out was how helpful everyone was and how everyone wanted everyone to succeed.  I found you could really be on your own in your business and really succeed with the community.   When companies started emerging in the area on the platform it took things to another level when Sarah, Liz and I started the User Group.  We again leaned on the success community to build that network (how I met you) and connect with others to help us “figure out what to do”.   Now its all about giving back and helping others find their lifelines.

How did our relationship start, and when? You were my life line when I started the User Group Leader Office Hours calls. (EFD – Ok, that’s the “how”, you are the who, user groups is the why, helping other user group leaders is the what, but where’s the “when”? [Oh my…that’s confusing!]  I think we first met at in person at Dreamforce 2013, at a user group leader event, and unlike “Who Wants To Be A Milloinaire” you can call on this life line as often as you need to!  #HappyToHelpSpreadTheUserGroupLove)

And now the bonus question – What’s one fact about you that few people know, that will surprise me and my blog readers? For fun I spend time with my family (I have a beautiful wife Tiffany and 4 amazing kids), I am an avid gamer and practice Tae Kwon do.   Additionally I love helping the Salesforce community.  I am passionate about Salesforce User groups and helping leaders to help their users reach their full potential. (EFD – And you are pretty good at scoring points with the Mrs. Solum. I’m bet you’ll point out this blog to her so she can see what you just said there!)

You can find Patrick on Twitter, and be sure to check out Leaderforce, the blog for Salesforce User Group Leaders, current & future!

I’m the (Kevin) Bacon of the Salesforce Community – Introducing Celeste Keller

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This is the twenty-first post in my blog series in which I will feature people I know from the community: Salesforce employees, MVPs, User Group Leaders, Partners, and honestly, anyone who I’m connected with who is willing to share with me the answers to five simple questions. I hoping that this blog series will help everyone out in the community get better connected to others who are either like them, can help them, are nothing like them, can’t help them, or are simply people they haven’t met yet! After all, a stranger is simply a friend you don’t know yet.

For me, one of the greatest strengths of the Salesforce Ecosystem is its people and the connections that are shared.

So, if you are brave enough, even if you’ve never met me in person, fill out this form and I’ll feature you in an upcoming post. (In case I have confused anyone, the questions on the form about our relationship refers to you, the reader, and me, the author, Eric Dreshfield, and not the featured person in this post.)  Just beware, by completing the form, you are giving me permission to use that information in a future post, as well as allowing me to interject some of my own thoughts into your responses!

And now I introduce the quadruple Salesforce certified Salesforce Saint, also known as Celeste Keller.

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What’s your job title? Senior Salesforce Administrator, Puppet Labs (EFD – Puppet Labs?  Do they make puppets and marionettes? No…I checked LinkedIn. Puppet Labs “develops automation software that frees IT professionals from mundane tasks, giving them time to develop innovative technology strategies that help their companies grow.” And that’s a direct quote from their LinkedIn profile!)

What does that mean you do?  Everything! User support, new configuration from requirements gathering to rollout, a little bit of Apex (mostly stealing code), release communications after each Salesforce release… (EFD – Ahhh…sounds like you’re a “Solo Admin”, and stealing code is cool, just don’t get caught!)

How long have you been involved with Salesforce.com (as a customer and/or an employee)?   I became a Salesforce admin in 2007 – I believe what my boss said was, “Learn this thing, and tell the rest of us how to use it.” Back then, I was doing Sales Support and random other things, and it was just one of many hats that I wore. Over time, it became my actual job – and the awesome career that I now love. In 2012, I started a Salesforce blog – because when I geek out over something cool that I just learned, there’s usually no one around to share it with! Shameless plug: check it out my blog.  (EFD – You are what some people might call an “Accidental Admin”…but you’ve gone even further with that. As for the shameless plug for your blog, if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have! It’s a must read, in my opinion!)

Bacon or sausage?  Can’t I have both? Don’t make me decide.

What’s more important: Who you know, or what you know?  Both – in a perfect world what you know, but its not realistic to think knowing someone doesn’t help 🙂 (EFD – Uhhh…so that’s a “What” or is it a “Who”?  I might be slightly confused here.)

How did our relationship start, and when? I’m pretty sure it was the Success Community, and in the fall of 2014. (EFD – “Pretty sure”?  I guess I really made a great impression on you! {That’s sarcasm, in case you couldn’t tell}  Seriously, I’m not sure I really remember either!  We are both pretty active on Twitter and in the Success Community, but I think the first time I met you in person might have been at Dreamforce 2015! )

And now the bonus question – What’s one fact about you that few people know, that will surprise me and my blog readers? This will be surprising to anyone who works with me as well, and has seen me in my uniform of jeans + t-shirt over the years. I have season tickets to the Opera, and love to get decked out in a gown and tiara for every show! (EFD – I have never been to the Opera…I think I have this stereotype that all Operas are in Italian and that I wouldn’t understand it.)

You can find Celeste on Twitter, and please be sure to check out her blog!

Jedi Job Change

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Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away…

I had what I thought at the time was the greatest job in the world. The work was interesting and challenging, and I was learning something new every day. Then one day I had a meeting with my manager and the president of the company. We talked about the $110 million dollar federal loan program I was managing, and how soon we should be ready to submit paperwork for our first reimbursement. We talked about the processes we built to insure that all of our I’s were dotted and our T’s crossed.  Then the president of the company asked one question that neither my manager nor I had even thought about. (I wish I could recall the question, but I’ve slept some since then, but not much, as you’ll see if you keep reading.) Suddenly all my efforts to be ready to make that big submission by “x” date, went out the window. Suddenly it seemed like I was expected to battle a huge wildfire in 70 MPH winds with only a pint of water and extinguish the flames in 30 seconds! (Ok…to be honest, I was given a deadline of 3 weeks, with what seemed like an insurmountable amount of work to do.)  I simply responded in conversation that what was expected was a pretty tall order, and I wasn’t sure there was enough time to get it all done.

The Beginning of the End (or is it…)

The president of the company then asked me “Eric, how much sleep do you get every night?” I responded with “about 6 hours, why?”  He quickly replied with, “Good!  That means you have 18 hours a day where you can be working to solve this problem and meet my deadline.”   WHAAAT did he just say??  (Look out; it gets a little ugly next. I was a lot younger and a lot less diplomatic than I am now.)  I looked at him and said, “I’m sorry, you don’t pay me enough to work those kinds of hours, and I have a family that I enjoy spending time with. You have unrealistic expectations and there is NO WAY I can get all that done and meet your deadline.”  Yep, you read that right, I just bad-mouthed the company, how much (or how little) they were paying me, and not only insulted the president of the company but also and his relationship with his family….ALL IN ONE BREATH! (For future reference, I would advise against such a thing.)

That Very Next Day…

After I had my “little” altercation with the company president, I got called into my manager’s office and was told I had 6 weeks left at the company and that the next Monday I would start training my replacement. Well now, that’s a pretty clear example of cause and effect. Ouch…Ok, I’ve got six weeks to find a job. I can do that!

And Then Reality Sets In

The job market in Southern Indiana in late 2005 turned out to be lousy. I did manage to get one interview during those 6 weeks. I also managed to get zero offers. My wife was a stay-at-home mom back then, and we also had her aging and ailing parents living with us, so until I lost my job, I was the income source for the entire family. Sure, my wife’s parents were receiving Social Security, but they were lucky to be able to make it through the month with enough cash to buy their food and all the medications they needed to survive another day.

Not UNemployed but way UNDERemployed

The next two and a half years were very difficult for me and my family. Employment in my chosen profession was difficult to find in my home town, and when I did find it, the jobs were temporary at best. So I did what any good husband and father would do, work multiple part time jobs in order to be able to pay the bills and keep food on the table. There were days that, between all the jobs I was working, and travel time, I would only get four hours to be home with my family, and most times, we were all sleeping then.

Enter the Salesforce Ecosystem…almost

Back then, I did a lot of job searching by looking at the Sunday newspaper classified section. I remember seeing and as for a company hiring technical support agents, computer and customer service skills required. I applied online and a few weeks later, late on Sunday afternoon, I got a call from a recruiter asking me to take an online test & if I could be at the company’s office at 7am the next day for an interview. She also wondered if I could start right after the interview, assuming they liked me. “Sure”, I said. I can do that…it would mean rearranging my schedule with a couple part time jobs, but for regular hours at decent pay, I was willing to take that chance, even though they said it was an 8-week, short-term assignment.

I passed their test with flying colors, for the job, and after 3 days of training, was live, on the phones and providing world class support to that company’s clients. The 8 weeks came and went. I began to wonder how much longer they would need me. The call volume on the particular product I was supporting was never that heavy, so the trained me on how to support several other products. I came right out and asked, “Should I be looking for another job soon?” “Don’t worry about that,” I was told. “We will give you a few weeks’ notice if we need to cut you,” my manager said.

The Longest 8 Weeks Ever…

Eight months later, the company’s HR department called and said they had a direct hire role in the contact center available, and wondered if I was interested. Well sure!  Why wouldn’t I want to work only 1 job with good money, normal hours and benefits? Sign me up!!

Wait, you mean I have to interview for the job I’m already doing?

Yes… I had to formally apply and go through interviews. Meh…no big deal. The one thing being “under employed” taught me was interview skills. I got plenty of interviews, but few good offers and on roles I didn’t really want. My first interview for the role (remember, this is for the role I am already working, it would just be a status change and more money) was with the VP of Enterprise Business Solutions. She was in charge of the contact center, and a whole lot more, and she was at HQ in San Diego, so it would be a telephone interview. The call went something like this…

I have just one question to ask you…

Why are we wasting both our time having you on the phones talking to our customers, when your skills could be put to a much better use elsewhere in the company?

My (almost) smart-ass answer…

Because that’s the only job you have open. I know, I just looked at your website.

So…maybe I STILL do not know when to shut up…

“Yes, I know, but I’m working on approval for a new role that would be perfect for you…a Business Analyst role. You can help us roll out Salesforce.com to the contact center,” was the reply I just heard. Then the VP told me to tell HR I did not want to be flipped over to a direct hire. Whoa…back that bus up. You want me to turn down a sure thing for a role you hope to get approved?  That kind of makes me feel like Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) in the movie “Speed” ->  https://youtu.be/l7jRaGBtVww

Fortunately, I took a chance, and shot the hostage. Not literally, I did NOT shoot anyone! More accurately, they took a chance on me. I told the VP in the interview I had never heard of Salesforce.com, and she still said, “So…do you want the job?” I gladly accepted her generous offer. I also listened to her when she said, “Find a user group and get connected so you can start learning.”

She created a monster!

My first user group meeting was in Chicago, and it was the same day as the Chicago stop of the Salesforce World Tour, or whatever they called it back in 2010. That one event was like knocking over the first domino in a long string of dominos.  After that, I spent 1 to 2 days a month going back and forth to user group meetings all around the Midwest. After a few months of that, I decided that I couldn’t be the only Salesforce user in Southern Indiana so I decided to start a local user group. My first meeting had 6 people at it, but it’s not the size that counts. It’s the interactions and creative, crowd-sourced problem solving that matters!

Fast forward a few months …

Early summer, 2010, and it’s getting closer to Dreamforce. “Can I go?” I asked my manager. “I’m sorry…the budget is shot. We can’t send you this year.”  Most people would simply accept that and say “There’s always next year.” Not me. I thought to myself, “If I can’t go to Dreamforce, I’m going to bring a little bit of Dreamforce to me.” And the idea for Midwest Dreamin’ was born. Apttus was one of the companies who became a sponsor of that inaugural Midwest Dreamin’. Al West, now Senior Vice President, Global Sales at Apttus, was my first connection.  That very first Midwest Dreamin’ took place in May, 2011, and the Galt House Hotel played host to about 100 Salesforce enthusiasts. In 2014, when the second Midwest Dreamin’ took place, it was at Chicago’s Navy Pier with 500 people, which grew to almost 800 in 2015.

Suddenly a Salesforce MVP

I remember it well; it was April 10, 2013. The day I was first awarded the title of Salesforce MVP. I’m not really sure what I did to deserve that award. I’m not big on the Answers board like Steve Molis is. In fact, I’ve asked way more questions than I’ve answered.  I’m not a super technical, awesome developer like David Liu is. I’m more a clicks kind of guy, not code.  I’m not the consummate Admin like Leyna Hoffer. I’ve had admin rights in orgs, but I’ve always been more the analyst.  I’m just a regular guy who seems to have a knack for connecting people together. I was only leading what I liked to say was the smallest Salesforce user group in the world, the Southern Indiana Salesforce User Group, but I also proudly said I likely had the highest percentage of attendees to registrations, averaging about 85% of registrations actually attending, and there was that little thing called Midwest Dreamin’. Yes, being named an MVP was a total surprise, and actually more of a surprise than most people know.  I didn’t access my personal email from work back then, and I had mobile data shut off on my cell phone when the announcement came out so I missed it.  I discovered I had been awarded the title of MVP when I connected my cell phone to a Wi-Fi source at lunch and it started pinging like crazy.  I missed a bunch of emails and tweets from current MVPs all congratulating me. For what I thought…then I checked my email and discovered the official “You’re an MVP” email.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly…What’s it like being an MVP?

I get asked that a lot…and it’s not really an easy question to answer, at least for me it’s not.  I could simply say it’s awesome and leave it at that, but those of you who know me, would never let it end there. So, I’ll describe it like this – there’s a lot of pressure on the MVPs, however, I would say that 90% of it is self-inflicted. Sure, there are certain things MVPs get early access to, or have knowledge of prior to the rest of the Salesforce Community that we are bound by a non-disclosure agreement to keep confidential, and there are plenty of opportunities for MVPs to provide feedback directly to Salesforce Execs, but I think the inherent pressure comes from not feeling like we deserve the honor bestowed upon us. I don’t think any of the MVPs were doing what they did simply for the purpose of becoming an MVP. I really think the MVPs are just a little more passionate and a little more vocal than your average community member, and they feel driven to a sense of accomplishment from knowing they helped someone solve a problem. So i think, to some degree, when MVP status is awarded to you, it’s like the clock starts ticking.  You know, that 15 minutes of fame clock…everyone wants their moment in the sun. Everyone dreams of being rich and famous. I don’t think there’s been a scientific study done that would prove being a Salesforce MVP will make you rich (in the traditional monetary sense) but I know most of us MVPs feel richly blessed to have made friends from all over the world through the Salesforce Community.  And then, thanks to events like Dreamforce, we get to meet some of those people in person and that is yet another blessing. Of course, with anything good, there’s typically a dark side too.  When I first became an MVP, a few of the more seasoned MVPs told me to expect LinkedIn to blow up with offers to connect from recruiters, and that the number of followers I have on Twitter would likely grow exponentially.  They were right. It seems everyone wanted a piece of me. Within 3 months of first being named an MVP, the number of followers I had on twitter doubled, and there STILL isn’t a week that goes by  without me receiving at least one or two emails or LinkedIn messages asking if I was interested in working for some company, or working through a recruiter that now I don’t recall the name of, or what the companies do, where they are…or if they are even in the Salesforce ecosystem! Obviously, they made a huge impression on me. (And that, my friends is  sarcasm. One more thing I’m kind of famous for.)

Aside from the things I touched on earlier, like early access to knowledge, easy access to Execs (and product managers), MVPs enjoy some other perks. We do have reserved seating at the major Keynotes at Dreamforce, we also get preferred seating at World Tour Events, but those are only perks if you can attend those events, and if you choose to sit with the other MVPs.  Personally, I’d give up the good seats in a heartbeat if I was in the middle of a conversation with a seasoned community member, or a even a first time Dreamforce attendee who wanted to see the keynote, but didn’t want to be lost in the crowd without a familiar face to share it with. (That’s not just me blowing smoke either…I’ve done both of those. Just ask Kristin Puttika about the Dreamforce 2014 keynote.)  I say this every week in my “Bacon” blog series – “For me, one of the greatest strengths of the Salesforce Ecosystem is its people and the connections that are shared” because I firmly believe that WHO you know is (slightly) more important than WHAT you know, because who you know can get you access to information you need. Because who you know can get you connect you to others you NEED to know.  Because who you know can lead to GREAT things!

Flashback to Dreamforce 2014…

A week or so before Dreamforce 2014, the Salesforce MVPs got an invite to a half-day training & demo with Apttus that was occurring on the Friday morning just after Dreamforce. I thought about it for all of 10 seconds, clicked the link to attend, and then sent an email to a couple of friends that I would need to change our plans from a morning walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, to an afternoon walk.

Dreamforce 2014

I’ll spare you all the details about the entire week, since probably everyone reading the post would have been to Dreamforce at least once and simply leave this Twitter conversation here:

Tweet XAuthor

And with that one defining moment, my desire to be associated with Apttus was born.

Why I chose to work at Apttus?

cookies

You mean you don’t get it already? Apttus is all over the CPQ and CLM space…world-class, industry leading solutions for Configure, Price, Quote as well as Contract Lifecycle Management but Apttus also has a hidden gem, a secret weapon, if you will, in the battle against poor Salesforce adoption.

Enter X-Author for Excel

X-Author for Excel is a game-changer.  It levels the playing field and makes the point of entry to get data into Salesforce as simple as the Excel spreadsheet your sales team is already using. So what’s the big deal?  Everyone knows you can import data from Excel into Salesforce. Here’s the secret sauce:  with X-Author for Excel, you do NOT import data. X-Author exists as a ribbon inside Microsoft Office applications that brings all your Salesforce controls and inherent security to your Excel spreadsheets. Using X-Author, you simply define fields in Excel that you want to map directly back to fields and objects in Salesforce. Every time a change is made in Excel that change is immediately reflected back in Salesforce. EVERY change, EVERY time. And guess what?  You can use X-Author with any, yes, any, object in Salesforce, including related AND unrelated, standard AND custom objects!  Can you just imagine the power you can put into your users hands?  I said users, not sales teams. That’s because anyone can use X-Author for Excel. Your sales teams, your marketing personnel, even your Salesforce admins will see the power and convenience that X-Author brings. And what’s even better, is that X-Author is a managed package, which means that the custom objects, tabs and apps within X-Author do NOT count against your Salesforce limits.

For more details about X-Author, check out the listing on the AppExchange and visit x-author.com.

 

I’m the (Kevin) Bacon of the Salesforce Community – Introducing Jessika Botruff

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This is the nineteenth post in my blog series in which I will feature people I know from the community: Salesforce employees, MVPs, User Group Leaders, Partners, and honestly, anyone who I’m connected with who is willing to share with me the answers to five simple questions. I hoping that this blog series will help everyone out in the community get better connected to others who are either like them, can help them, are nothing like them, can’t help them, or are simply people they haven’t met yet! After all, a stranger is simply a friend you don’t know yet.

For me, one of the greatest strengths of the Salesforce Ecosystem is its people and the connections that are shared.

So, if you are brave enough, even if you’ve never met me in person, fill out this form and I’ll feature you in an upcoming post. (In case I have confused anyone, the questions on the form about our relationship refers to you, the reader, and me, the author, Eric Dreshfield, and not the featured person in this post.)  Just beware, by completing the form, you are giving me permission to use that information in a future post, as well as allowing me to interject some of my own thoughts into your responses!

And now I introduce the co-leader of the Columbus Women in Technology group, Jessika Botruff.

jessikab

What’s your job title? Salesforce Administrator, Revolution Group.

What does that mean you do? I am the Sole Salesforce Admin at Revolution Group.  I do the typical day-to-day admin duties, troubleshoot user issues, manage new requests, etc.  In October 2014 we started using FinancialForce PSA (Professional Services Automation).  This has been a great program to work with and has helped me push myself to learn.  I also work closely with our Salesforce consulting team sending them great information from the Community.  On the side, I am a co-leader for the Columbus Women in Technology group.  I have loved being a leader for this group and getting to know all the great ladies in central Ohio.  (EFD – Is there really a “typical” day for a sole Salesforce Admin? Perhaps you and Dale Ziegler should have a chat about that! )

How long have you been involved with Salesforce.com (as a customer and/or an employee)? I’ve been on the Salesforce platform over 8 years. I started using Salesforce in 2007 and got my foot in the door with Reports and Dashboards, becoming an “Analytics Queen.” (EFD – You should meet Jennifer Wobser!  She’s the Goddess of Analytics in my book! And maybe after she reads this post, she will submit her info so I can feature her in a future blog post… hint, hint…. Ahem, Jennifer??)

Bacon or sausage?  It’s Bacon or Nothing!

What’s more important: Who you know, or what you know?  I believe it is a mix of both.  The “who you know” will help you expand the “what you know”.  And the “what you know” can help you meet more “who you know”. (EFD – The way you put things, it sounds like a vicious circle, only you and I both know, it’s not vicious, it’s really quite pleasant. I’m not sure if we can put a shape to it though.)

How did our relationship start, and when? I found you in the Salesforce Success Community and at Midwest Dreamin’. (EFD – That was Midwest Dreamin’ 2014, I believe. I don’t recall seeing you there in 2015.  Maybe you can make it next year. Midwest Dreamin’ 2016 is on Julyy 21 & 22, 2016 at Chicago’s Navy Pier.)

 

And now the bonus question – What’s one fact about you that few people know, that will surprise me and my blog readers? I love baking! My specialty is an Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie, all from scratch of course :-).  Also, I’m a huge Nebraska Cornhusker fan! (EFD – Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie?  Uh, YUM!  Can you please bring some with you when you come to Midwest Dreamin’ in July?  Puhleeeeease!! That sounds amazing!)

You can find Jessika on Twitter.