A short YouTube/video testimonial in which Stephanie Herrera recounts her journey from working in the cotton fields of west Texas after high school to becoming a director of technology working on the Salesforce platform. Key themes: mentorship and managerial support, learning on the job (Dell), transformational effect of the Salesforce platform and Trailhead, founding/leading community learning (Salesforce Saturday), and a commitment to pay forward support to help others succeed.
Questions this video answers
November 6, 2017
Salesforce (Trailhead)
Chapters
As a kid, I loved school. School was my safe place. I was a straight a student, national honor society. But I was dealt a hand that wasn't traditional, and, you know, that kind of turned my life upside down. So I did not get to go to college. After high school, my first job was working in the cotton fields with my grandfather. Seeing that that was his only way to take care of his family, I felt a responsibility to do better. My husband got a job at Dell. He's like, just go interview. And I was like, I don't know computers. I don't have that experience. Somehow I got the job, had great managers. I learned so much there. Once I got into the salesforce platform, it changed everything. I've had so many people help me along the way. My manager at the time, he really believed in me. He's like, yeah, I was looking for someone to own the Salesforce instance, and I found you. He really gave me the confidence to fly. Starting out in the cotton fields of west Texas. Now I'm working as a director of technology on the Salesforce platform. You know, that's the direct result of others helping me. So if I can do that for somebody else, I'm going to help them. Stephanie is the heart and soul of the Austin community. I started Salesforce Saturday to help others be successful. Trailblazer to me is someone who leads the way for the next generation. It's a whole new world. It's evolving and growing. People think they can't keep up with technology, but they can't. We show them how to start using trailhead, and they're off to the races. We are encouraging each other, motivating each other, building each other up to be stronger through knowledge. It's a story of support. It's a story of mentoring. Bunch of great, sweet friends. There's just this energy. They give me this power, like, oh, you can do it too. I was like, oh, my God, this is it. I can do it. When you find something you really love, the first instinct is to share it. Now this is all happening on different sides of the world. Everybody can come together, learn new skills, earn badges, and connect with the community. You really can change the world one person at a time. You help that one person, and they help somebody else. It does keep going on and on, and for me, that's been the most satisfying thing.
