The Cloud Consulting Journal

Pei Mun Lim is a UK-based lifelong consultant. Her firm, Zenhao Training helps create great consultants. She is also the author of Salesforce Discovery 101, and has another book on the way.Pei is a delight to speak with, and I am so glad to have met her. Enjoy!

In this episode, I speak with two colleagues: Brittany Douglas and Jamie Stimson-Douglas of Endiem. If their names are familiar in the Salesforce world, that's because they are the daughter and daughter-in-law of Jeff Douglas - a pioneer in Salesforce technology and the first Salesforce MVP. Britt and Jamie got into Salesforce consulting through unusual paths. We discuss the ins and outs of consulting, the challenge of being a parent while consulting, what it's like to work at Endiem, and the legacy of the Spice Girls. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a joyful and prosperous 2024.

I once again chatted with Jenevieve Arrigan of Escapist Reality Consulting.  We have a wide-ranging discussion, including:Jenevieve's thoughts and experiences on Dreamforce 2023.What's going on with Salesforce/AI/GPT.Our memories and the legacy of Appirio's Dreamforce marketing efforts, including the Snoop Dog Incident.Praise for the founders of Appirio.What's going on with X/Twitter

Watt Hamlett is a Salesforce consulting veteran and founder of Watt Hamlett Consulting. In this podcast, we discuss everything related to the current state of Non-Profits in the Salesforce Ecosystem. We talk about many of the challenges non-profits face when it comes to Salesforce, and how the future for them will change.  We also discuss Watt's initiative to give Non-profits an easier time choosing consulting partners: Watt's List. Enjoy!

Charlie Cowan is back for Season 2. In this episode, we discuss his new endeavor: RevOps Charlie  and get into:Why Revenue Operations is becoming such a hot topic now.Why buyer enablement is so importantAnd how if you are buying a car - the last place you'll go is the dealership!Charlie is also the author of "How to Sell Tech" and brings with him deep experience along with a positive, fun attitude.

Mort Sayyed is the President and Founder of Minlopro Partners, a Milwaukee-based Salesforce Consulting partner focusing on small and medium-sized businesses. In this conversation, we discuss Mort's journey from an immigrant kid to the consulting business and the ins and outs of running a firm. We get into the current state of the partner world and look at the challenges firms face today. Enjoy!

Tom Hedgecoth has accomplished something that seems almost impossible: he completed all Trailhead badges.  In this conversation, we discuss how and why he did this, and we hear Tom's advice for anyone interested in exploring Trailhead. We also discuss his new endeavor: The Hedgecoth Group - his consultancy focused on helping boutique consulting firms become as great as possible. Check it out!

Hello! I meet once again with Jenevieve Arrigan of Escapist Reality - a boutique Salesforce consulting firm in Portland, Maine.We discuss the layoffs in the Ohana world, work from home versus working onsite, learning "soft skills" and how virtual work necessitates a different approach,  the future of Salesforce technology,  and how this summer should be the Summer of Love (and getting out of our caves.)

Alex Sutherland is the Principal, Director, Salesforce Architecture at Booz Allen Hamilton. He is also a father, Air Force Reservist, Salesforce MVP, and an all-around great guy.  In this episode, we discuss how he got into Salesforce,  Dreamforce 2022, and Salesforce Genie. We geek out on Heroku. 

Bill Powell is a Salesforce Advanced Administrator at Crowdstrike, a cybersecurity technology company. He is a Sales Rep turned Administrator turned Consultant turned Advanced Administrator. He is also a Salesforce MVP and 4-star Ranger (which means 400 Trailhead Badges and over 200,000 point.) We discuss his journey from Sales rep to Salesforce, and his approach to learning. We also have some real talk about the consulting industry and the MVP program. Enjoy!

Dan Peter is the Salesforce Practice Lead at Robots & Pencils, an innovative boutique technology services firm. Dan has been into technology since he was a child. In his career, he's worn many hats. In the Salesforce ecosystem, he's been with an ISV, he's been an independent consultant, and now he works with a consulting partner.

It's Dreamforce week, and I meet with fellow FOMO-sufferer Jenevieve Arrigan, founder of Escapist Reality. In this podcast, we discuss our thoughts on Dreamforce, what we like about it, what we dislike about it, and of course, share our tips on surviving the week in one piece.  Enjoy!

Joey Poarch is currently the Director of Sales Solution Architecture at Zennify.  In this episode, we dive into the ins and outs of scoping projects. We also reminisce about our transition from client-server to cloud technology and discuss many other experiences in consulting. Enjoy!

Andrés Gluecksmann is currently a Senior Director, Services at Salesforce. He has a long and glorious history in the consulting world, having previously worked at Astadia, Appirio, and Traction on Demand. In this podcast, we discuss his involvement with the advent of the True to The Core Dreamforce sessions, what makes a great consultant, and what the future of consulting may look like in the Salesforce Ecosystem.  Andrés is an extraordinary person - enjoy!

Jiordan Castle is an author and part-time brand strategist at Atrium AI, and Nicole Klemp is an independent writer and brand strategist. At one time, Jiordan, Nicole, and I were the content marketing team at Appirio (and arguably the best content marketing team in the cloud consulting market :-) ). In this episode, we discuss what content marketing is, how firms should think about content, what it's like to work in this business as a woman, and advice on getting into the tech marketing world. Enjoy!

Aaron McGriff is a Senior Consultant at Slalom, a legend in the Salesforce world, and an incredibly nice guy. You may have seen Aaron in a Salesforce Trailblazer video - and if you haven't, go watch it right now. His journey from security guard to consultant is inspiring to many people. In this episode, we discuss his notoriety, his journey into consulting, and his thoughts on the recent Dreamin' in Color event. Enjoy!

Corey Snow is a consulting director at Huron Consulting Group, a former Salesforce MVP,  a great community builder, and an overall thoughtful person. In this discussion, we talk about leadership, "managing up," and how to be a great follower. And of course, we discuss consulting and problems in Higher Education.  Finally, we talk about how introverts (like Corey) can have an impact on the world.  Enjoy the conversation!

We're back! In this episode, I speak with Nick Hamm, the CEO of 10K Advisors. Nick is a long-time consultant, Salesforce MVP Hall of Famer, triathlete, and an all-around great guy.  We discuss many aspects of the consulting business, including choosing between working for a firm and going independent, and trends in how projects are done. We also discuss the situation with the MTX Group and how to balance aggressive business plans with reality. Enjoy!

In this episode, I interview David Giller, the founder, and CEO of Brainiate. Brainiate helps organizations use Salesforce better and trains administrators and users on the platform. David also puts out a ton of entertaining content about Salesforce through the Brainiate YouTube Channel and the Brainiate Show. David is a big personality and contributes a lot to the Salesforce community - I know you'll enjoy our discussion.

Shane Sugino is currently the Director of Higher Education Innovation at Heller Consulting. Shane has had an interesting career path - going from the world of finance to working in higher education, to working in the consulting world.  We focus our discussion don't the problems in Higher Education and how technology can impact it.

Julie Barker is the CEO of her one-woman talent consultancy, Cultivate Talent. Through Cultivate Talent she offers her expertise in helping firms with their talent strategy, including hiring,  employee experience, and leadership coaching. Julie and I discuss how firms find the right people, how we should think about salary, and how we know when to leave a company, among other topics. This is a great discussion if you are interested in any aspect of talent management.

Emma Hutchinson is a Solution Architect starting a new job for Salesforce itself. She has an amazing story, starting off in the nonprofit world and moving to technology consulting. She has deep experience in Higher Education and non-profits. We discuss her journey into tech and consulting and what it is like to consult for Higher Education. We also discuss the remarkable story of Ivy Tech. Emma has a great sense of humor and is a fascinating person - enjoy!

Chris Bruzzi is the Executive Vice President, Product Development at Uncommon Purpose. What is Uncommon Purpose? It is a new cloud product company that spun out of Traction on Demand after they were purchased by Salesforce. We talk about Chris' long history of building products, and we discuss the new mission of Uncommon Purpose. Listen in!

Geraldine Gray is the founder and CEO of Endiem, a small firm in the Salesforce ecosystem. Geraldine is an experienced leader and technologist, and in this episode, she shares her experiences in growing a firm. We talk about the Salesforce ecosystem, the nuts and bolts of running a business, and the differences between the UK and American work cultures.

In this episode, I meet once again with Jenevieve Arrigan of Escapist Reality, a small consulting firm based in Portland, Maine.  In a wide-ranging discussion, we go over the Salesforce product name changes, the Metaverse,  hiring, the state of the Salesforce Partner ecosystem, and several other topics. Enjoy!

Meet Jeff Douglas: Army veteran, parent to an army of children, RV wanderer, the original Salesforce MVP, beer magnate, and an all-around fantastic guy. In this discussion, we talk about how Jeff got into cloud computing, some of the inside baseball of the Trailhead platform, and specific examples of how Trailhead has changed lives. 

Vanessa Grant is one of the coolest cats in the Salesforce Consulting world.  She is a 6x Certified Salesforce Business Analyst & Consultant at Simplus Consulting.  Vanessa has had an amazing career, going from the radio industry to cloud consulting. Enjoy!

In this episode, I speak with Charlie Cowan about his new book, "How To Sell Tech: A step-by-step guide to hitting your target in your first technology sales role." We discuss how Charlie got into tech sales and some of the concepts from his book, including how to run an effective meeting.  

Tiffany Spencer is the COO of Esor Consulting and is involved with Tech Forward,  Black Orlando Tech,  and the upcoming Dreamin' in Color conference. In this episode, we discuss her career, all her activities,  and what black tech professionals face in the workplace. Tiffany is an inspiring person and I think you will enjoy this conversation.

Emma Jacobs and Galvin Olsen-Smith are consultants on the Strategy Team at Atrium AI. Both were recruited directly out of college into Atrium's Luminate program. In this podcast, we discuss their transition from college to a career in consulting, what excites them about technology, and how to cope with the stresses of a career. Enjoy!

Garry Polmateer is the CEO of Red Argyle, a friendly Salesforce consulting firm based in upstate New York. We discuss how Garry connected his art background with technology, the strategy and culture of Red Argyle, and his advice for CEOs. Garry is a multi-talented artist, technologist, parent, husband, and person, and I think you'll enjoy his wisdom.

Brian Reynolds is a Senior Partner at Salesforce working with Slack system integrator alliances.  We discuss Brian's struggle getting into the professional services sales business, how he learned to be a great sales rep, the differences between selling products and services, and Brian's current role in building a consulting ecosystem around Slack. We share many great memories, and Brian gives some solid advice about Sales.This podcast begins with a short reflection on the loss of a former colleague, Jill Brabender. She will be missed.

Michelle Swan is a partner at Tercera.io, a firm that invests in services companies in what they describe as the Cloud's 3rd Wave. Michelle is an expert in all things marketing. In this podcast, we discuss how Michelle got into the world of cloud computing consulting, what exactly is the Cloud's 3rd wave, and what her advice is for service companies building go-to-market plans. Enjoy!

 Mike Martin is the Chief Customer Officer of 10K Advisors, a firm that connects people talented in Salesforce with customers that need solutions. Mike is a Salesforce MVP, a beer connoisseur, a Lego enthusiast, and an all-around great guy. In this episode, we discuss how Mike got into the consulting world, what 10K Advisors does, and some of the issues in the market for Salesforce talent. We also discuss Indianapolis as a Salesforce hub. Don't miss it!

Tere Traub is an Associate Partner in the Public Sector for 7Summits (now IBM).  Tere has extensive international experience and has deep knowledge of the world of Higher Education, having worked at Kaplan University and the University of Texas system. In this episode, we discuss how Tere got into Salesforce consulting and the state of Higher Education. We also discuss food and the differences between Austin, Texas, and Miami, Florida - two places everyone seems to be moving to and Tere kind of resides in. 

Shoby Abdi is the Director of Architect Success at Salesforce. Before his current role, Shoby worked for several consulting firms in the Salesforce partner ecosystem, including Model Metrics, Mavens Consulting, 7Summits, Wave6, and West Monroe Partners. In this episode we discuss the history of the ecosystem, how firms maintain or lose their culture, and Shoby gives the inside story of the B2B and B2C Solution Architect program. 

Aaron Crear is the founder of Hat-Trick Consulting, a small firm in the Northeast US. In this episode, we discuss his journey from being an end-user of Salesforce to owning his own small consulting firm. We discuss his journey, as well as Salesforce User Groups, Northeast Dreamin', Dreamforce, Salesforce Flow, and beer. 

Suzanne Sherlock is a Principal in the Columbus, Ohio office of Slalom Consulting. Suzanne's journey to consulting started with on-campus interviews with Anderson Consulting (a firm that later became Accenture.)  Since those early beginnings, Suzanne has become an outstanding consultant, and even more importantly, an adoptive mom. In this episode, we discuss Suzanne's path to consulting, what it's like at Slalom, and her advice to new consultants trying to build a career.

In this episode, I speak with two-time colleague Kyle Bowerman of Atrium AI. Kyle is the Director of Enterprise Architecture, a team that works as "data plumbers."  We discuss what got Kyle into consulting, and Kyle shares some of his wisdom for new consultants.  Kyle also shares his experiences with crowdsourcing, and we talk about Appirio's journey with the crowdsourcing platform, Topcoder.

The inaugural episode of the Cloud Consulting Journal features the incomparable Jenevieve Arrigan of Escapist Reality, a small consulting firm based in Portland, Maine. We discuss our time at Appirio, how to maintain a good culture, her motorcycle ride across America and back, and all the lessons she's learned in running a firm for five years. The consulting business is a long journey, and Jenevieve's has truly been epic.  Grab a cup of Blue Bottle Coffee (or your favorite brand) and enjoy.