Archive

As a single-person business that offers both products and services, I simply don’t have time to do it all myself.
Here are the people I depend on:

App development
There’s a small team that helps me with the SF application. This includes two SF devs, an AWS dev, a QA tester, and a part-time marketing person.… Read the rest

A couple of readers were interested in knowing my process for writing these emails, so here you go.

Ideas are collected throughout the day and recorded in my note taking app. Sometimes the idea is based on a situation with a client, a reader request, or something I find interesting.… Read the rest

There are three main ways to host a podcast:

1. You are the only host and do all of the talking
2. You have a co-host, or two, and have conversations amongst yourselves
3. You are the host, and you interview others

Some people mix and match, but one of these ways is usually the most applied.… Read the rest

I’ve been an independent consultant for more than 20 years. For the first 19 years, I built a custom web application to manage my accounting.

My primary motivation was cost. I didn’t want to pay an endless subscription fee, when I knew I could build one myself.… Read the rest

When I graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering, there was a ceremony. It’s called the iron ring ceremony. It’s only performed in Canada and all students who graduate with an engineering degree attend.

The entire ceremony is secret, but there are a few things I can share with you.… Read the rest

I’m slowly building this email list. The idea is to eventually reduce working on Salesforce projects and focus on coaching. It’s a long term goal, but one I started thinking about two years ago.

To gain readers, do the following:

1. I occasionally share these emails with LinkedIn
2. If it does well, I receive a lot of connection requests
3. I accept all requests, and message each person with the following:

—
Thanks for connecting!… Read the rest

One of the largest challenges when working for yourself is being a complete business. You cannot just be a Salesforce architect. You also need to be a marketing team, a sales team, a finance department, and a support team all in one.… Read the rest

Being an independent Salesforce architect, there’s only so much I can do in a week. This means I spend most of my time advising and consulting clients, rather than doing implementation work. This means clients are usually paying for access to my expertise.… Read the rest

There are three apps that I rely on for everyday work.

The 1st is Workona, which is a Chrome extension. It allows me to create a space for each client. So if I’m working on Client A’s project, and need to quickly switch to Client’s B’s project, it takes me two clicks.… Read the rest

Another reader asked how they can efficiently use labels or turn emails into action items. These are great questions.

I use a label for each client, and a general label called “Clients” for prospects and other client-related emails. I set up Gmail filters to automatically add the label based on the sender or subject.… Read the rest

A number of readers were very interested in more details about the personal and business calendar sync.

Using a Make scenario, only personal events scheduled between M-F from 9am to 5pm are synced to my business calendar. So it’s a one-way sync.… Read the rest

As you may know, I do more than one thing. At the moment, I do the following

1. Advise and consult on Salesforce projects for nonprofits
2. Design, implement, and support a Salesforce app for nonprofits
3. Coach Salesforce consultants
4. Send emails 5 days a week
5. Host a weekly podcast

Several readers have asked how a single person can multitask so efficiently.… Read the rest