DevOps Diaries Jack McCurdy

Melissa Hill Dees is an innovator. She is committed to the Salesforce community, no more so than the non-profit community — she shares her warmth and energy with everyone that’s fortunate enough to cross her path. And we’re lucky enough to have her share with us on DevOps Diaries!

In this episode Jack and Melissa jump into the world of Salesforce non-profit. They discuss the ways that non-profit organizations can be as successful as the best corporations — by investing in the people that work for them, the technologies that can accelerate their success, great user experiences, and freeing up humans to “do more good”.

Jack asks Melissa how we can innovate to stop ourselves and businesses stagnating. They also chat about how data will shape every interaction we have with companies and institutions, as well as the important role that AI will end up playing in our lives. And, maybe the biggest question of all, “is SMS dead?”.

Useful links
Boundless by Vala Afshar
How to protect your Salesforce data
A guide to masking Salesforce data
Seed your Salesforce sandboxes with ease
Deploying Salesforce Communities for a better user experience

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Podcast produced and sponsored by Gearset, the complete Salesforce DevOps platform. Try Gearset free for 30 days. 

Joy Shutters-Helbing is a Senior Manager at CapTech Consulting. She is also a wonderful mom! In this episode Jack and Joy consider where life and work intersect and how the skills we develop in our personal lives are applied to our profession.

If you like analogies then this is the episode for you. Hot Wheels, Lego, cars, rocket ships, and flying carrots all have their place here! Filled with laughter from the start, Jack and Joy discuss the bigger picture.

Nothing is off limits. Joy speaks to her experience with the Salesforce platform and how that’s tied back to what she’s learnt as a parent. She discusses everything from user management, to stakeholder relationships, to the continually changing capabilities of Salesforce. Joy also shares the importance of the Salesforce and Chicago community, and how it’s played a big part in her success.

Useful links based on key themes from this episode:

Attend DevOps Dreamin’ and meet Joy & Jack!
How Gearset helps Salesforce consultancies
The top priorities for Salesforce teams this year
How to improve team collaboration with DevOps

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Podcast produced and sponsored by Gearset, the complete Salesforce DevOps platform. Try Gearset free for 30 days. 

Lauren Krcatovich is CRM Development Manager at Cision. Her journey in tech has been shaped by business analysis and product management before taking the reins for overall Salesforce development.

In this episode of DevOps Diaries, Lauren shares why product and design thinking is critical to the success of Salesforce implementations. She uncovers the key stakeholders that need to be involved in projects from the start to achieve the best results — some may surprise you!

Jack and Lauren also dive into the importance of accountability and quality management across the organization. Listen in to get Lauren’s take on retrospectives and methods for continuous improvement that help you learn from project experience. They also discuss strategies for tech stack consolidation.

Useful links based on key themes from this episode:

How to align performance with objectives
What are the business benefits of DevOps?
How to manage multiple Salesforce Production orgs
The State of Salesforce DevOps 2024
Who are Gearset’s DevOps Leaders?

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Podcast produced and sponsored by Gearset, the complete Salesforce DevOps platform. Try Gearset free for 30 days. 

Jeremy Foster is a software engineer by trade, and now Manager of Salesforce Development at Pilot Company. Jeremy and his team have been on a DevOps transformation for 5 years, and he’s joined Jack on DevOps Diaries to tell us about the journey.

Jeremy articulately weaves through his own personal journey, and that of his team. Jeremy’s motto is “always be learning”, whoever you are, and that shines through in this episode.

Jack and Jeremy discuss the transition from change sets, adopting bespoke DevOps tooling to help streamline their process. From there, he tells the tale of adopting version control and CI practices that have transitioned into full development pipelines, and how Salesforce community events play a pivotal role in learning.

Pilot work closely with a number of system integrators. Jeremy also explores what it takes to work effectively with Salesforce consulting teams, and how to get the most out of your working relationships with them.

Useful links based on key themes from this episode:

Live in-person and virtual events for Salesforce DevOps
DevOps advice for consultants
How to manage your whole Salesforce pipeline
Where to learn Salesforce DevOps
Trailhead for Salesforce

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Podcast produced and sponsored by Gearset, the complete Salesforce DevOps platform. Try Gearset free for 30 days. 

Rob Cowell is a DevOps advocate, Salesforce architect, and published author. Rob’s Salesforce career has spanned 13 years. He’s recently shared his knowledge and dedicated expertise in DevOps with the world via his new book, Salesforce DevOps for Architects.

In this episode Rob shares with Jack his experience and background as a Salesforce developer and architect that has shaped his career. Rob’s deep understanding of development best practices and agile methodology encompasses this conversation, as he shares what it means to be an architect on the Salesforce platform, and how anyone can get there with the right mindset.

Rob dives into how we can better engage with senior level stakeholders, how to work effectively across all depths of role, and what he’s learnt by being a regular contributor to the Salesforce community. Stay tuned to the end to hear the best pearls of wisdom from a DevOps expert, and where you can get your hands on some great Salesforce merch for even better causes.

Useful links based on key themes in this episode:

Order “Salesforce DevOps for Architects”
Shirtforce
Should you use scratch orgs or sandboxes?
When to build or buy a Salesforce DevOps solution
How to rock your role as a Salesforce Admin
Better understand your org as a Salesforce architect

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Podcast produced and sponsored by Gearset, the complete Salesforce DevOps platform. Try Gearset free for 30 days. 

Eric Dreshfield is a veteran of the Salesforce sphere. Spanning 15 years, Eric has held a number of roles across organizations that have shaped him into one of the most thoughtful, engaging personalities that you’ll find when you’re out and about in the Salesforce ecosystem. The work that he does has transcended the community, and he is credited with founding the first “Dreamin’” Salesforce event. 
In this episode, Eric talks to Jack about the origins of Salesforce community conferences, and why they’re so important for the ecosystem as a whole, as well as for every single individual, regardless of role. They chat about how to get the most out of attending a professional conference, and what you need to know heading in so you’re in safe hands (which you always are at a “dreamin’” event!). 

Jack and Eric also talk about the importance of advocacy, how to leverage your personal brand to build your career, and how simple it is to get started once we remove expectations. This episode really is a testament to humble beginnings and what might grow with a little bit of time, initiative, and passion! 

Useful links based on key themes from this episode:
An interview with DevOps Advocate Rob Cowell
Forcelandia 2023: Unpacking the code, unveiling the magic
TrailblazerDX: First time tips for a terrific time!
Lessons learned from not being prepared for Dreamforce
How to improve performance with collaboration

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Podcast produced and sponsored by Gearset, the complete Salesforce DevOps platform. Try Gearset free for 30 days.