Let's talk tech.
I've been amazed by my career and want to encourage you in yours.
Here's a behind-the-scenes peek.
TL/DR: I was pursuing a career in advocacy and nonprofit leadership, when I became an "accidental admin," then legitimate consultant, and eventually a Salesforce Application Architect working for the Mothership.
Below: a bit of my story, and a quick look at what I’ve learned (and what I’d do differently)
Most FAQ: The Golden Hoodie
It's Bold.
It's Gold.
It's actually really heavy.
I'm so honored to be a recipient of the Golden Hoodie. Known as "the shiniest of swag," this fancy jacket is given to just a few Trailblazers (aka Salesforce innovators, learners, and leaders) each year.
This is a very special honor for me because It’s not just about being good at what you do—it’s about using what you know to lift others up. I was honored (and honestly a little shocked!) to be recognized this way.
Some Trailblazers are celebrated for their standout roles—like Admin, Developer, or Architect. I was named an Employee Trailblazer. Twice a year, Salesforce selects just a few internal employees for this recognition.
So why was I selected? They don’t tell us exactly, but it's said that honorees "all share a love of community, commitment to continuous learning, and passion for helping others succeed." Makes me blush!
Here’s what that looked like for me:
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My life's mission has always been to help others succeed on their paths, in the ways that they define their own success.
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I've contributed in many ways to my community and in support of our military families.
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Before March 2020, I was volunteering inside our county jail, spending time with incarcerated women.
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When COVID hit and in-person capacity was limited, I pivoted. I began remote volunteering with a nonprofit that supports the families of incarcerated individuals and helps with successful re-entry—lots of data cleanup and system support involved.
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I also supported a racial reconciliation nonprofit. We helped them use their data more powerfully—resulting in an incredible 320% increase in donors to fuel their mission.
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At the time, I held 14 Salesforce certifications. One of the award criteria was demonstrating technical capability, and certifications are a clear marker of that.
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I had recently been recognized internally with other honors, like the “Innovator” and “Terrific Teamwork” awards.
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Probably some other nice words from my team :)
The Golden Hoodie is a bit of a Salesforce legend. For me, it’s also an encouragement and reminder to show up fully, use my skills for good, and stay open to where the work might take me. Let me know how I can encourage you on your journey!
Sharing Insights: Military Trailblazer Office Hours
Military Trailblazer Office Hours serves as a collaborative mentorship forum to gather with Salesforce professionals to discuss career paths within the Salesforce ecosystem, best practices for exam study, personal branding strategies, marketing yourself on social media, etc.
Best Practices for Learning Salesforce and Crushing Exams
This session featured Co-Hosts:
⭐ Marc Baizman, Principal Instructor at Salesforce
⭐ Lauren Zolp, Solution Consulting Manager at Salesforce
⭐ Julie Workman, Senior Technical PM at Salesforce
⭐ Jim Sharp, Education Solution Architect at Salesforce
Special Host: David Albright, Lead Solution Engineer at Salesforce
Sessions
I am so excited to speak in front of groups of people! I love sharing my path and encouraging others. I also love sharing tips, tricks, and insights to help others gain tactical insights into emerging tech.
It's been said that I'm a "dynamic speaker with a rare mix of technical, strategic, and operational insights." As a prior Salesforce admin and implementation partner, my perspective combines a wide variety of insights. One thing I love to do is to translate big ideas into actionable, real-world impact.
You might have heard me speak at one of these events:
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Dreamforce 2022 - Meet the New! Performance-Based Credentials
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TDX 2021 - What's New: Health Cloud Specialist Superbadge
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Dreamforce 2019 - Two New Billing Superbadges: Behind the Scenes
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Dreamforce 2019 - The Insider's Guide to Superbadge Success
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Dreamforce 2018 - Marketing Cloud Presentations (two) and Circle of Success
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Connections 2018 - “Single Source of Truth” Data models for Marketing Cloud
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Dreamforce 2016 - Project Management with Salesforce
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Salesforce World Tour DC April 2016 - “Becoming a Connected Nonprofit”
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Salesforce.org Webinar - Nonprofit Marketing with Salesforce: An Overview of Marketing Cloud, Pardot, and Social Studio
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Dreamforce 2015 - “Custom Objects: The Basics, Tips, & Tricks” Admin Zone
I was delighted to Salesforce Admins Podcast and share a bit of my story:
In a story that may sound familiar if you’ve spent any time listening to the Salesforce Admin Podcast, Julie started out in Salesforce as an accidental admin. She was on the leadership team of a nonprofit serving families in a severely distressed community, and she needed to see all of their data in one place. Julie was trying to answer the question, “How can we get all of these different spreadsheets to tell us a more cohesive picture about how we’re serving our community and what our outcomes look like?” She couldn’t do that with the tools we had, and that’s when someone recommended she take a look at Salesforce.