Events

Our team had the opportunity to sponsor and attend not only one but two amazing conferences last week: Midwest Dreamin’ and WITness Success. 

After a two-year long hiatus from in-person events, we were grateful and raring to get back in action. We met some amazing people, reconnected with friends, and raffled off some delicious 10K Buffalo Trace. The energy, excitement, and hope left us buzzing. 

WITness Success Allies Dinner 

Friday evening was a top highlight of my week in Minneapolis. For the unfamiliar, WITness Success is a two-day event dedicated to empowering, supporting, and investing in the Salesforce Women in Tech user group members and leaders. 

That night, I had the honor of moderating a panel of powerful, inspiring, and all-around impressive women at the WITness Success Allies Dinner. It was an incredibly moving experience. This group of career-driven and altruistic women offered the vulnerability to tell real stories about their triumphs, setbacks, hopes, and frustrations. 

The reality is that women in tech face an uphill battle their male counterparts do not. In recent years our industry has finally recognized this as a fact and that’s certainly progress, but there is still more work to be done. Our women peers need more effective allies to bring about real change. 

Here are the most important things I learned from our conversations. 

Actions don’t have to be tremendous to be impactful

The idea of perfection or achieving big results tends to paralyze us into sitting on the sidelines. 

It goes something like, “Well, if I can’t do XYZ at this scale or reach “this number” of people, then is it even worth it?” 

We’ve all been there. However, the truth is that even small acts can make a big difference. Impacting one person makes a difference. Aim to focus less on achieving the ideal outcome and just reach out. Opening one door can lead to a world of opportunity. 

One of our panel members said it perfectly, “Just say, yo!” Check-in on your people and provide support where and when you can. 

What it takes for allies to do tremendous things

It takes the intention to go above and beyond to help someone. Allies can make a huge impact by daring to be bold in their actions and words. Use self-awareness to detect real-time opportunities to speak up or make connections. It’s all about follow-through.

Allyship isn’t just for men

It’s everyone’s responsibility to inspire and create change. You don’t have to be in a position of power to give others power. There is room for all of us to be better allies for each other. 

It takes courage to be an ally (or to be helped by one)

Sometimes we’re scared of saying, doing, asking, or offering the wrong thing to people who need help. That’s why it feels easier to not do anything at all. On the flip side, it’s difficult being the one who needs to ask for or receive help. It’s scary to be vulnerable. 

Courage is key to both allies and the people who need them. Being bold is the way to unlock achievements for not only others but also yourself. Embracing vulnerability creates an opportunity for real growth. 

A special thank you 

I want to thank Gabriela Pedroni for organizing the WITness Success Allies Dinner, Melinda Smith for believing in and supporting the concept, and all of the incredible women who shared their stories. We sincerely missed Jocelyn Fennewald – much of this materialized after our conversation at WITness Success 2019. Until next year, remember to “Just say, yo!”

It’s Independents Week at 10K Advisors! We’re celebrating the 10K Expert Community and our mission to give people the freedom to do the work they love. Stay tuned to our blog for Q&As with some of our brightest independent experts as we explore what it takes to build a business, how to overcome doubt, and advice for other Salesforce experts with an entrepreneurial spirit. You can follow the conversation every day this week at #10KIndependentsWeek.

Wendy Murry | Murry Consulting

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your business?

A: Murry Consulting is a project management consulting company focused on helping businesses of all sizes in leading strategic projects and transformations within their organization. 

Since I started working in the ecosystem, I’ve realized many organizations spread their project managers too thin across projects or don’t have project managers in-house, so I focus on serving as an extension of the company’s leadership team to help manage their initiatives. My focus is on partnering with clients to understand their goals and guide them during the project journey while managing developers and other consultants. 

Murry Consulting was established in 2017 when I partnered with a company moving from an Association Management tool to Salesforce Sales Cloud, Community Cloud, Pardot, and numerous AppExchange products. The transition was a major undertaking – this company literally put their entire business on Salesforce products! Managing the transition required detailed and methodical project management, especially because the company also contracted with two technical implementation partners. There were many stakeholders I needed to keep informed, solicit decisions from, and keep on schedule. 

Q: How long were you working in the ecosystem before you determined the mission and goal of your business?

A: I’ve been in the ecosystem as a Project Manager and/or user since 2009. It was early on in my Project Manager journey that I had the opportunity to lead several projects with custom development that extended the Salesforce platform to meet the specific needs of my then employer. I was later a user of Service Cloud through my role supporting a large organization’s customer support team.

Q: What was your first “ah-ha!” moment before taking the first step to start your business?

A: I was talking to a colleague about starting a Project Management consulting business. She turned and asked me, “Wendy, how long have you been thinking about opening your own business. What is stopping you?” 

I realized I was the only person stopping myself from branching out on my own. I was afraid of failing. This same colleague made the initial referral to my first customer, too! When she made the introduction, I jumped in with both feet and haven’t looked back on the decision. It was the right decision at the right time and she helped me to get into the right mindset.

Q: Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

A: My first year in business I would have tried to diversify my client base instead of focusing 100% on one client. I had one primary client that consumed the majority of my time. In hindsight, diversification would have helped me to grow my customer base and provide opportunities once my first project was completed.

Q: Can you offer any words of wisdom for Salesforce experts looking to start their own business?

A: For anyone nervous about being on their own, ask yourself “What if?” multiple times. What is the worst that can happen if I fail, then what? What if I can’t meet my financial obligations, then what? 

If you can work through all of your “What if?” fears and in the end, live with them, you don’t have anything to fear in starting your own business. Even better, what if you are wildly successful?

Also, hire a team of professionals to support you – lawyer, accountant, insurance agent, etc. to set up a real business entity. I have found this team critical to helping me set up my business and rely on them to protect my investment in my business and myself.

It’s Independents Week at 10K Advisors! We’re celebrating the 10K Expert Community and our mission to give people the freedom to do the work they love. Stay tuned to our blog for Q&As with some of our brightest independent experts as we explore what it takes to build a business, how to overcome doubt, and advice for other Salesforce experts with an entrepreneurial spirit. You can follow the conversation every day this week at #10KIndependentsWeek.

Alex Scalzo | Empodio | @empodio1

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your business?

A: Empodio is a boutique consultancy that focuses on Field Service Lightning. We founded Empodio having realized the misunderstandings surrounding Field Service on the Salesforce Platform. For starters, it’s far more specialized than many other product offerings and generally more difficult for new users to learn. It’s also relatively new to the market, so it’s been a learning process and adjustment for Salesforce and their partners to convey what it does and how to successfully implement. The opportunity for Empodio was figuring out how can we capitalize on this niche challenge and enable every organization’s field service journey.

Among the five Empodio core values, we are impact-oriented. Just as much as we want everyone who purchased the product to have the most possible benefit to their organization, it also means guiding customers on when not to purchase FSL. The biggest thing we see in the space is companies purchasing enterprise-grade software thinking it will solve their issues, but not entirely understanding what the product actually does and doesn’t do. Empodio sees FSL as a step by step process, almost like a video game. We guide customers on the journey and show how they can level up. It’s a major organizational transformation and we feel it is vital for our clients to know that from day one.

When David and I stepped out of our past careers, our goal was to create a consultancy we wouldn’t want to leave.

The traditional consulting model isn’t sustainable, and we recognize our consultants are human beings that deserve balance. This is our opportunity for disruption in the space – we want our team to feel they’ve been committed to professionally and personally. We’re passionate about challenging our consultants so they can further hone their craft in addition to learning to be their best selves. We hire, fire, sell, and decline deals based on our commitment to our values and mission; it’s something we owe it to our consultants and clients alike. 

Q: How long were you working in the ecosystem before you determined the mission and goal of your business?

A: I’ve been in the ecosystem since late 2016. I first worked at Bluewolf, which was a phenomenal experience. I was really lucky to work with incredible teams and people, traveling and meeting them at the office and in their homes. It was also my first snapshot of what “good” project work looks like. Bluewolf and Salesforce gave me true direction and was what I would consider the inflection point before founding Empodio. 

My positive experience at Bluewolf was empowering, but it ultimately wasn’t enough for me to stay. I realized the value of relationship building and empowering people, especially during the difficult transition of Bluewolf being acquired by IBM. During that transition, I learned I never wanted to work for a massive corporation and that there’s always room for options. You don’t have to sell out for the sake of being comfortable. Being uncomfortable is good, it means you’re growing. 

This all happened before Salesforce purchased Field Service Lightning, so my prior experiences shaped how we built Empodio – as both a service provider and an employer – with intention.

Q: What was your first “ah-ha!” moment before taking the first step to start your business?

A: Mainly, I realized a company’s sole purpose is to put its employees and clients alike in a position to be successful. I personally didn’t feel that was happening for me. Retrospectively, sure, I learned a lot about how that process was trying to unfold where I was(Rome wasn’t built in a day!), but it just didn’t feel quick enough for me. Going through that rat race without feeling I had a say in the direction of the company that I put time and effort into wasn’t going to work for me.

So in late May in 2019, I got a call from a former colleague and friend, David Longhini, about “doing something different” (founding Empodio) and the rest is history. I’ve learned more in a year doing this than in the entirety of my career because, quite frankly, there was no other option.

Empodio has shaped me permanently and changed the way I see both the industry and myself.

Q: Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

A: I was told by the Small Business Association that we essentially built Empodio backward, which is hilarious. While we were in a fortunate position to not stress over cost barriers, we had major directional issues. For example, I spent hours and hours building out HR policies and legal paperwork, when really that wasn’t necessary until way farther down the road. 

David and I also lacked sales experience, so I wish I would have started the way we’re running Empodio now. The first thing we should have done was to focus on branding and processes. I also think every successful entrepreneur would agree that every mistake and experience forces you to take direction and figure out the necessary solutions. Paralysis by perfection is a very real issue to be aware of, so it’s important to keep chipping away. 

Q: Can you offer any words of wisdom for Salesforce experts looking to start their own business?

A: Consulting is a young wise man’s game, and I’m a firm believer that wisdom can’t be taught (but you should always try). Someone once told me “you’re going to get a lot of advice and you’re going to read a lot of books, but your job as an owner is to be a sifter. Be that kid in the sandbox and sift for the things that will be the most valuable.” 

That single piece of advice helped me refocus from being distracted by all the shiny things. 

Jumping off is also the hardest part, but first, you need to establish your support network. I don’t think this is talked about enough. Entrepreneurs love telling people to just get out and get started but that doesn’t necessarily pay off in the long run. Talk to your loved ones and friends in the ecosystem or adjacent industry spaces. Understanding who you can go to for certain information will stave off burn-out, which is nearly inevitable for any entrepreneur. There’s going to be highs and lows, and the best way to find balance is to have a trusted network to turn to in those moments. It will create stability and sustainability that will propel you through it all. 

Also, there’s no template for being a successful entrepreneur. Don’t waste too much time listening to people who don’t know what they’re talking about, because everyone has an opinion about how to be an entrepreneur. Figure out what you like and consume content from trusted sources, because, in the end, you’re the one deciding what’s best for you. 

Imposter syndrome is real. Just know that this journey is a process and you don’t need to be stellar at everything in order to just get started. Who you are is what got you here, and where you want to go is the process by which your growth will happen. 

It’s Independents Week at 10K Advisors! We’re celebrating the 10K Expert Community and our mission to give people the freedom to do the work they love. Stay tuned to our blog for Q&As with some of our brightest independent experts as we explore what it takes to build a business, how to overcome doubt, and advice for other Salesforce experts with an entrepreneurial spirit. You can follow the conversation every day this week at #10KIndependentsWeek. 

Ryan Mitchell | M3 Cloud Consulting | @Ryanalewishes

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your business?

A: My company is M3 Cloud Consulting, and I’m an independent contractor in the Salesforce ecosystem. I founded M3 because we are a family of Salesforce professionals that enjoy helping companies get the most out of their Salesforce investment. 

The name M3 is inspired by my family (M3, three Mitchells) who also work in the Salesforce ecosystem, and we have a shared vision of all working together one day. My younger brother, the one who introduced me to Salesforce, and his wife are currently working in the Salesforce ecosystem and have been for the last ten years. 

Q: How long were you working in the ecosystem before you determined the mission and goal of your business?

A: I’ve been working with Salesforce for nearly ten years now, and as I learned more about what this platform provides and the different paths people can take, I immediately knew that consulting was the best fit for my personality. I came into the ecosystem with over ten years of experience in Education, and that, together with Salesforce, has helped me realize my passion for assisting people to achieve their program goals.  

I’m also a middle child and growing up, I was often looked upon to being a mediator and coming up with a solution for everyone to get along. So as I learned more about consulting, it felt like it was an excellent fit for my personality as we are often faced with business challenges and seek to find ways to solve them using Salesforce. 

Q: What was your first “ah-ha!” moment before taking the first step to start your business?

A: Seeing the need out there for people that care deeply about connecting with other people. I realize this is technology, but I look at this as a people-first industry. We thrive on connection, and that is important to our success. I enjoy connecting with other members in our community, especially in this day and age, where working from home can somewhat be isolating if you let it. We have a vast network of people out there able and willing to assist should you tap into your network. 

Q: Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

A: I feel like everything happens for a reason, and you have to trust the process and take it a step at a time. I’ve met so many amazing, supportive people that have come into my life to assist on the journey that saw things in me that I didn’t always see in myself. I was ready a lot sooner, I just didn’t know it, so if I could do anything differently, I would have believed that I can do this a lot sooner.  

Q: Can you offer any words of wisdom for Salesforce experts looking to start their own business?

A: You got this, believe in yourself, and don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

When we fail, we learn. We are equipped to handle anything that comes our way as long as we learn from our mistakes. 

Also, our ecosystem is very supportive and is here to help guide you along the way. I’d also say figure out what gets you up in the morning and what you’re most passionate about because your customers will feel that authenticity.