My Top 5 Moments of 2019 ... and a Resolution

One year ago today I passed the Identity and Access Management Designer exam, the final hurdle, at the time, left between me and the System Architect domain credential . I was also still coming down from my sixth Dreamforce, where I had the incredible experience of being a first-time Dreamforce speaker. I had not yet run the Ladies Be Architects solution design workshop, I’d never been featured in a keynote, and I had very few CTAs in my professional network.

Fast forward 365 days, and my how things have changed! Looking back on 2019, I am grateful for a number of professional and personal highlights that have made my year truly transformative. Without further ado, here are my top five moments from 2019.
​

5. Community Conference Speaking

When I think of 2019 I immediately think about all the community conferences I attended. This year I traveled around the world (quite literally) speaking about being a Salesforce architect and demystifying the process of designing solutions. Yes, I self funded almost all of these trips (and used my vacation time to go to conferences) but it was 100% worth it. In total I spoke at six conferences in the US and two international conferences, including my first keynote! Whether it was running the Ladies Be Architects Solution Design session, or simply speaking about my personal career journey, I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to connect with Salesforce practitioners across the globe and to, hopefully, make the architect journey a bit more accessible for a few of you.

​4. The Trailblazer Video and Golden Hoodie at TrailheadX

I wrote two separate blog posts documenting each moment of this once-in-a-lifetime set of opportunities. You can read about it in detail here and here if you want the play-by-play. But TLDR: Salesforce sent a Hollywood-style film crew to my home and my office to create this Trailblazer film.

The film was screened at the TrailheaDX (TDX19) keynote, where my company and I were recognized in a very snazzy demo inspired by a project I worked on, and where I was awarded the Golden Hoodie. Capped off by the very cool experience of snapping some pics with Sarah Franklin and Parker Harris on the keynote stage. At TDX19 I also had the opportunity to present many sessions in the new Architect zone AND was in the front row as Domenique Sillett Buxton introduced Ruth, the new Salesforce mascot for architects, to the world.
​

3. DReamforce and the Architect Vista

The Architect area at TDX19 was such a hit that Salesforce decided to bring it to Dreamforce. Ladies Be Architects had the enormous honor of having the first AND last sessions in the Architect Blueprint Area as well as many sessions in between.

​Dreamforce 19 (DF19) started a day earlier than previous years, because I was invited to attend the CTA Summit as a guest. Being able to get a taste of the type of access and info CTAs are exposed to was an incredible experience. Just being in the room with so many smart people inspired me!

​During Dreamforce proper, I was featured in the Health and Life Sciences keynote, and this time a group of my coworkers, one of whom was featured in the film as well, were sitting behind me cheering me on. Ladies Be Architects also had a number of events and a lovely party, I had a handful of my own speaking sessions and I tried to say "hi" to as many of my Salesforce friends as possible amidst the chaos.

​The other big highlight from DF19 was capturing this mind-blowing moment where I had a cameo in Marc Benioff's Opening Keynote. Listen with the sound on. It was SO cool to be in the keynote hall during this special moment.

​2. My New Job

If you’re following me on Twitter, you already know that I have a new job. After four amazing years working at Boston Scientific, a Fortune 500 company with an enterprise-level implementation of nearly all the clouds, it was time for a change. Starting in January I will be joining Odaseva, a Data Governance platform ISV built and founded by a brilliant Salesforce CTA. Odaseva is a small but rapidly growing company headquartered in Paris and San Francisco, funded by Salesforce Ventures. I’ll be working alongside 3 CTAs, and reporting to a female CTA, while being 100% remote. If it sounds like an amazing opportunity....it’s because it is!

​1. The Trailblazer Community

Hands down, the biggest highlight of my year was simply being a part of the Trailblazer Community. I feel incredibly lucky to be doing something I love. But having the opportunity to share what I love with others? That's special.

​Not only does my work challenge me, but I also have the opportunity to be fully and authentically myself while making a difference. And the reason that I have this opportunity is because of the Salesforce Community. The reason why I get up and give back is because each and every one of you.

​BUt It Wasn't All Sunflowers And Wine...

This year I was a bit paralyzed by where to start in my CTA study. I’ll be honest, I think I needed this year for hands on experience. I worked on a community project, built a mobile app, and had to handle some real life SSO and OAuth implementations.
​
I also identified and started to fill some of my knowledge gaps around non-Salesforce IT. While I feel like I procrastinated a bit in my CTA study, that procrastination manifested itself in picking up two new certs. If you’re so inclined, you can read more about how I studied for the (now defunct) Mobile Architecture Designer exam and the Heroku Architecture Designer exam.
​

So What's Next?

Entering into 2020 I finally feel like I’m ready to ramp up my real CTA preparation. I’m targeting a Fall 2020 board date and feel like I have the right network of people to support me. I’ve made connections with a number of brilliant people (many of whom I am proud to now call my colleagues) and finally have a group of people who I feel comfortable asking for help when I confuse myself, which happens more than I like to admit.

Entering into 2020 I finally feel like I’m ready to ramp up my CTA preparation.

​​
​My New Year’s resolution is to put in the time necessary to prepare myself for the CTA at the end of the year. I might not be ready by then, but I’m committing to put in my best effort. I’m going to blog my preparation experience as I ramp up my studies. I'll share the things that I feel are working, and also those that aren't. If, or I suppose I should say when, I do pass the board I hope this will become a useful resource for other CTA candidates. For those of you who might be reading, feel free to contribute your advice, correct me when I'm wrong, or cheer me on from the sidelines. I'm sharing to keep myself accountable but also to document the journey. 
​
​Let's do this.