Dreamforce during a pandemic and the Salesforce Ohana

Zennify Team

The Road to Dreamforce

When I received the email inviting me to attend Dreamforce in person this year, it changed my life. Like a lot of us, this pandemic took a hit to my mental health. Isolation reduced my connection to a community.Reading posts on LinkedIn and Twitter about who was attending, I slowly found connections. Around 50 Trailblazers joined a Twitter group to connect with and coordinate rideshares. Suddenly my community was growing along with my excitement.

As Dreamforce grew closer, we had to send in our COVID tests via FedEx, and my community grew one person larger. Two days in a row, Debra at Walgreens helped me ship my tests. Every time I returned to Walgreens, Debra greeted me with a smile and a countdown.

Trailblazer Community

When I landed in San Francisco, I met Vanessa Thomas for the first time, and we immediately connected on all things Salesforce. We shared our journeys in the ecosystem as we shared a ride to Moscone Center to pick up our badges straight from the airport; that’s how excited we were to be at Dreamforce.

When picking up my badge, Salesforce provided pronoun pins. I really felt included in the Trailblazer Community!

Since everyone had to arrive Monday, the day before Dreamforce, I headed to the COVID-safe Karaoke party hosted by GetBack. As I was wandering the streets of San Francisco looking for the venue, I saw a woman across the street who seemed like she was looking for the party too, so I yelled that we should hunt for it together. When I crossed the street, I saw she was wearing a Zennify t-shirt. I couldn’t believe my luck! I was starting my new job at Zennify in a few weeks, and I met my first new co-worker, Nicolette Barbitta.

When Nicolette and I arrived at the party, she immediately introduced me to another person starting at Zennify on the same day I was. I met Jen Kinstle, who is also a Salesforce Solution Architect. My community was growing by the minute.

Dreamforce wasn’t all about meeting new people; on the first day, I ran into Chris Stegall, a former co-worker.

Salesforce Ohana

I experienced more than a community at Dreamforce; I experienced the Salesforce Ohana! From joining the unofficial Dreamforce dance team (check out Dreamforce - Twitter to see our dance moves)

To meeting other passionate people that share their knowledge and love of the Salesforce ecosystem.

We didn’t just bond over our love of Salesforce; We also bonded on our love of the Foo Fighters.

The most significant example of the Salesforce Ohana was at the end of the Foo Fighters concert; we joined forces to get Vanessa Grant a drumstick, a guitar pick, and a setlist.

The Road Home From Dreamforce

As I traveled home (with my Einstein pillow that Marc Benioff gave me), I was re-energized by the new Trailblazer Community I connected with and full of love from all the Salesforce Ohana I experienced.

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