Talent Hub Talk

Gaurav Kheterpal on the SAIMA initiative, the power of Community, and a spotlight on the Salesforce ecosystem in India

In today's episode, we're joined by Gaurav Kheterpal who is based in India, and whom you may have seen speak at a Salesforce event previously, given that he's an active and generous contributor within the Salesforce ecosystem.

Gaurav shares his journey with us, both prior to Salesforce and within his current role; and as a holder of 33 Salesforce certs, we talk about his views on certifications and the approach he takes.

 

Gaurav talks to us about the SAIMA initiative, which is a free-spirited community group for global Salesforce Architects to collaborate and study for related topics, and his own Architect journey.

 

It was great to hear more about the Indian Salesforce ecosystem from Gaurav, and whilst travel is limited in the current climate, we travel in the mind as we talk with Gaurav about Salesforce events over the years, across the world that he's been involved in.

 

As a very active figure within the world of Salesforce, we recommend that you follow Gaurav on LinkedIn and Twitter, via his handle, @gauravkhterpal, to enjoy his content. Gaurav can also be found on the Salesforce Stack Exchange and via his blog. Make sure you also check out the SAIMA Group, for opportunities to get involved.

 

We hope you enjoy the episode!

Johann Furmann and Jakub Stefaniak on joining forces to achieve a common goal of the Salesforce CTA

In today's episode, we're joined by two guests, Germany-based Johann Furmann, and Poland-based Jakub Stefaniak, both of whom have recently achieved the momentous goal of the Salesforce CTA.

 

Johann and Jakub supported each other through the CTA journey, and whilst their backgrounds are quite different, it was interesting to hear their views on certain topics, and the approach that both took to achieving this challenge; where they agreed, and where they have alternative perspectives.

 

Johann and Jakub are transparent in sharing their day to day experience of this period of time in their lives, from the resources they used, the groups that they joined, and the strength in camaraderie so unique to the Salesforce Community, which they found support in.

 

We have a candid chat about finding balance when pursuing an intense goal such as the CTA and discuss whether there is a new generation of Architects emerging as we move into the decade of the 2020s.

 

We'd recommend that you follow Jakub and Johann on LinkedIn, and of course, our esteemed sponsors, FlowRepublic, the elite Salesforce academy, who you'll hear referenced throughout this episode.

 

We hope you enjoy the chat!

Alice Hodgson on effective Salesforce training and user adoption

In today's episode, we're joined by Alice Hodgson, who is the Founder and Managing Director of the Salesforce training provider, TrainTheCrowd.

 

We talk with Alice about her early career prior to her specialising in training, even before she discovered Salesforce and became a part of the ecosystem.

 

We were eager to hear about the training business, TrainTheCrowd; how it first began, and some of the insights she was able to share around adoption, the role of a trainer, and how they have had to adapt to the complexity of the ever-evolving Salesforce ecosystem.

 

Given the recent challenges we've faced across the globe with COVID, Alice gives some detail into how the disruption we've experienced in the way we've typically worked, has changed the role of a trainer.

 

We talk with Alice more generally about being a business owner, how herself and her team have been able to cultivate a fun, transparent, and collaborative culture despite the nuances of remote working, and finally, what excites her for the future!

 

Make sure you're following Alice on LinkedIn, and you can find out more about TrainTheCrowd and the wider team by visiting their website.

 

We hope you enjoy the episode!

Ivan Almeida on the world of Salesforce architecture and his journey to CTA

In today's episode, we're joined by Ivan Almeida, Salesforce CTA and Head of Architecture at Publicis Sapient in the UK.

 

Having initially transitioned from development to architecture, Ivan talks us through that journey, and how it led him down the CTA path. He recalls when he first moved into the Salesforce ecosystem, and how his formal study supported his professional development.

 

We covered a number of architecture related topics with Ivan, such as what a Salesforce Architect works on day-to-day, what an Enterprise Architect does, and the impact of COVID on the role. He also explains the differentiation between the Solution and Technical Architect scope, and how this sits when compared to the more general I.T space.

 

Ivan's current role oversees an international portfolio, and he gives a glimpse of what it's like to deliver Salesforce projects across different regions, taking into account time differences and varying ways of working from continent to continent.

 

Ivan references his blog within the episode, and we recommend that you also follow his journey on LinkedIn.

 

We'd like to thank our episode sponsor, FlowRepublic for their support, and recommend that you check out their website out if the CTA or developing your soft skills is on your personal road map.

 

We hope you enjoy the episode!

David Scott Nava on transforming his career from Military to Salesforce Architect and Mentor

We're joined in today's episode by David Scott Nava, who works for Salesforce in the US.

 

David knows more than a thing or two about goal setting and focus. Having enjoyed a lengthy military career, as he neared retirement from his naval duties, David applied a strategic approach to his next move, which he shares with us.

 

He talks us through what that journey looked like, how he first discovered Salesforce and how building a personal brand has enabled him to get to where he is today. 

 

He shares the challenges he faced, the opportunities that he's made for himself, and how he helps others to find similar success today.

 

As an active and inspirational member of the Salesforce Ohana, make sure you're following David by connecting on LinkedIn, and he's working on a number of resources to help and inspire currently.

 

Enjoy the episode!

Lorenzo Frattini on the importance of good quality code and his CTA journey

In today's episode, we're joined by Salesforce CTA Lorenzo Frattini, who is the Founder of the Salesforce product, Clayton.

 

With a background in software engineering, Lorenzo explains how he first became a part of the Salesforce ecosystem, and his journey into Consulting within the Salesforce world. As a previous team member of Tquila UK, Lorenzo revisits working amongst bright minds in the market, and how he initially took the path to achieving the CTA.

 

Lorenzo shares key insights into the Developer ecosystem, and highlights the importance of good quality code and security for a business, plus the steps to address poor code within an org.

 

Lorenzo also has a useful take on some of the ways that you can build on your skills to make you a stronger candidate for the Review Board and beyond, encompassing soft skills such as communication, empathy, and emotional intelligence.

 

Make sure you're following Lorenzo on LinkedIn for further content and information about Clayton, and we'd like to extend a big thank you to FlowRepublic, the Elite Salesforce Academy for their support in sponsoring this episode. 

 

Make sure you visit their website to find out more if the CTA is within your sights.

Toby Wilcock on the sales side of the Salesforce ecosystem

In today's episode we speak with Toby Wilcock, CEO of Salesforce Partner, Cloudwerx, and tap into his deep knowledge and experience of the sales side of the Salesforce ecosystem.

 

We asked Toby how Salesforce projects come into fruition, how the relationship with a Partner and Salesforce works, and the nuances that lie within that dynamic. He explains the sales cycle itself in detail within the episode, and how economic factors and shocks can play into that cycle, and it's speed. He also gives an insight into how a Partner can go about managing pipeline and headcount within the project space.

 

Toby has a background in sales, and has previously worked within a range of Partner sizes, both through selection, and acquisition. He explains the different scale and size of Salesforce Partner, and how that can impact on your role, and the type of projects that you'd be more likely to be working on. He talks us through the changes that he's seen in the ecosystem over the years, and what a customer looks like, as well as the expectation of their Salesforce Partner.

 

It was fascinating hearing about the sales side of the ecosystem with Toby and we recommend that you follow him on LinkedIn for future updates, as well as the Cloudwerx LinkedIn page.

 

You can catch up on the episode we recorded with Cloudwerx's Chris Baldock here.

 

Enjoy the listen

 

#salesforce #salesforcepartner #sales #cloudwerx #salescycle #projects #business 

Andy Mahood on building and scaling a Salesforce product business and the path to CTA

In today's episode we talk with London based Salesforce CTA, Andy Mahood who founded Taskfeed, and recently merged the business with Precursive, where he operates as the CTO.

 

Andy walks us through his early career and the roles that he's played, which include working for both an end user and a Consulting Partner, leading on to his role today of Founder, and CTO of Precursive.

 

Andy gives candid insights into getting a product business off the ground, including the logistical and financials, and then building, scaling and creating a team around him.

 

He explains how his own role has changed as the team has scaled, moving from business creator to CTO, and what that transition has entailed.

 

Additional to being a product Founder, Andy is a Salesforce CTA, and we asked him about his personal CTA journey, how he prepared, and what it felt like to pass. He gave us an insight into the difference that it made to his own mindset, and how others perceived him in a professional setting.

 

This episode is full of tips and pieces of advice, whether your interests lie in building a product business, the journey to CTA, or you just love an inspiring Salesforce story!

 

We hope you enjoy the episode, and do make sure you follow Andy on LinkedIn, and check out Precursive online. Andy hosts his own fantastic podcast, and you can subscribe to episodes by searching for App Etc.

 

A big thanks to our friends at FlowRepublic, the Elite Salesforce Academy for their support with this episode.

 

Enjoy!

 

#salesforce #salesforcepodcast #trailhead #cta #certifiedtechnicalarchitect #pathtocta #journeytocta #salesforceproduct #precursive #techpodcast

Arjan Kramer on his journey to CTA and being authentic in your work

In today's episode we're joined by Salesforce CTA and Program Architect Director at Salesforce, Arjan Kramer, who is based in the Netherlands.

 

Having seen Arjan speak at Dreamforce, we were keen to hear about his Salesforce journey and the roles he's played both before his life at Salesforce, and since joining the ecosystem.

 

He shared with us his career plans when he was younger and how the skills he learned even in his younger years have been transferable in his role today. Prior to working at Salesforce, Arjan had a lengthly tenure at Capgemini in the Netherlands, and he goes into detail as to how he was able to keep learning and progressing during those years.

 

He shared with us how he first heard of the CTA program, his CTA journey, and the gaps he had to overcome to be successful when he met with the Review Board.

 

Arjan is a generous contributor in the Community, and an accomplished public speaker, and he shared his own tips on building your confidence and finding a sense of calm in performance.

 

He explains how these skills help him in his Architect role, and what other traits and skills make a great Architect in his mind.

 

Make sure you're following Arjan on Twitter and LinkedIn for future content and speaking engagements at Salesforce events.

 

Thank you to our sponsors FlowRepublic, the Salesforce Elite Academy for their support with this episode.

 

We hope you enjoy the episode!

 

#salesforce #salesforcecta #cta #technicalarchitect #dreamforce #salesforcepodcast #journeytocta #pathtocta

Vincent Motte on growing a business first Salesforce practice

In today's episode we catch up with Vincent Motte, who is Managing Director of Salesforce Partner, The Carnac Group.

 

The Carnac Group deeply specialise in particular industry verticals, and we explored the strategy around this, as well as the hiring methodologies that they've employed to enable them to grow.

 

Vincent shared his own Salesforce story, how he first became a part of the ecosystem, and what first led to his desire to launch a Salesforce Consulting Partner.

 

In these times of COVID and remote work, we discuss with Vincent which skills are proving to be beneficial, and the growth plans for the business for the future.

 

You can find out more about The Carnac Group here, and make sure you're following Vincent on LinkedIn for content and updates.

 

We hope that you enjoy the episode!

 

#salesforce #salesforcepodcast #salesforceconsultingpartner #salesforcetrailhead #trailblazer #salesforcelearning #business #leadership #technology #salesforceohana