I first started working with Salesforce when my company, Michelin, began transforming our business with the use of Salesforce. At the time, I was in sales and the goal was to have every sales person well-versed and using Salesforce for their daily work. I was one of the original testers and quickly saw the value of Salesforce. Right away, I became the de facto trainer and teacher for my department. If anyone had a question, they came to me!

Our company is committed to creating a closer relationships with our customers and increasing information-sharing through technology. This focus on using technology to hone in on information and relationships, demanded new and more efficient operations for our internal processes. When we switched to Salesforce we were able to see the power of the platform in reaching these goals. Our Corporate Digital Department focuses on the development and deployment of Salesforce globally, which has allowed us to have a 360 degree view of our customers and a better understanding of our business.

Salesforce has allowed me to combine two interests of mine into one solid career. I started college studying computer science and ultimately converted to business administration due to my love of entrepreneurship. I always wanted to explore a more technical career path that still allowed me to use my broader business mind. Because of Trailhead and the Salesforce skills I've developed, I've been able to do just that. Being a part of Michelin's global Salesforce implementation project has been an incredible opportunity for me to learn and grow in my career.

I first started learning on Trailhead because I like to learn through a variety of different resources. Trailhead provided a great way for me to learn in a self-paced way which was sometimes reading based, and sometimes hands-on. I was able to quickly skill-up on Salesforce and become a leader on my team and earn my Admin cert because of Trailhead, not too shabby! The reason I come back to Trailhead is probably the gamification of earning badges and points! I'm not at my goal for badges and points just yet but I'm learning so much with every badge.

Salesforce is on top of their game, releasing updates three times a year with improvements and new functionality. Trailhead allows for an easy way for my team to keep pace with all the latest and greatest innovations. With the routine release of new badges related to all the new features and benefits of Salesforce, Trailhead is an incredibly easy method of staying up to date and earning cool badges in the process.

The best advice that I can give is to start with a trail or module that has some interest to you. The modules are well-written and have hands-on requirements to complete, which are the most amazing aspect of Trailhead. It's all about those hands-on challenges which allow you to experience using Salesforce without the fear of making mistakes.

Being a Trailblazer means focusing on your passion, always moving forward, and not being afraid to go where no one has gone before. Being a Trailblazer at work means helping my customers blaze new trails in their business by not only understanding their business, but also being an expert in the digital solutions required for their needs.