5 new posts in a the last 10 days…we are on a roll! Seriously though, you’ll hopefully start to see some more consistency out of us, especially as we get ready for Dreamforce in just over 50 days. So here it is, a long overdue Our Favorite Things this Week!
Standing Tall
Yup, I’m firing out of the blocks with a controversial one.
Salesforce has taken a few PR hits recently as a result of Customs & Border Patrol being a Salesforce customer. RAICES (an immigration focused non-profit) rejected a $250k donation, a local coffee shop turned down a $40k coffee contract for Dreamforce, and 650 employees sent a signed letter to CEO Marc Benioff criticizing the work.
Marc replied in early July and the company has maintained this position throughout the last several weeks.
Honestly, good for Marc Benioff & Salesforce for standing tall, keeping their commitment to their values & customers while being transparent in the process. They are easily the most socially conscious CEO & company in the USA yet there are those who think this contract means Salesforce has abandoned its values.
I would argue we see the most variety of colors the world can offer during dawn and dusk…you know, the space between night & day…and maybe we should allow our thoughts and opinions to be equally nuanced instead of trying to force everything into one bucket.
It’s a Small World After All
At Dreamforce ’16 I ran into someone I formerly managed as the director of a healthcare foundation; she had turned our use of Salesforce and her love of marketing into a great job with BlueWolf; currently she leads their marketing efforts in Australia & New Zealand.
This week my company, SparkOrange, was hosting an event at a Pirates game for local clients and prospects. I’m having a conversation with an executive director that uses Salesforce and was sharing my own non-profit experience when he stopped and said, ‘Wait, you’re Tom!’
Turns out his sister is the person I worked with at the foundation. We both started using Salesforce at the foundation, both moved into Salesforce related careers, re-connected at Dreamforce, and now Salesforce keeps the connection going once again.
Oh…and our staff ace Jamison Taillon stopped by the suite & my son spilled his orange juice, splattering some on the shiny white uniform.
Lightning Champions
I know I’m a little late to the party on this once, but I’m a big fan of the Lightning Champions program. Since this post in Summer ’16 I like to think of myself as a lightning champion (lowercase intentional) so having a way to capitalize (yup…) my passion for the new UI is great!
The program requires you to complete the Lightning Champion Trailhead, complete a survey, and schedule a 1:1 Peer Interview with a Lightning Champion to get certified.
Once you have the designation, you get tapped to participate in various Salesforce events, speak to other Salesforce users, qualify other Lightning Champions, and other Ohana awesomeness.
I’ve checked all the boxes, just waiting for the interview! Get in on the fun here!
