Girly Geek Of The Week: Celeste Keller

Welcome Celeste Keller – Girly Geek of the Week!

Meet Celeste! Not only is she a Salesforce vet, she is a Dreamforce vet – this year will be her 8th Dreamforce! She is triple certified, an #AwesomeAdmin, a #SoloAdmin, is ‘crafty’ and definitely knows what she wants! Celeste has given some stellar advice and has a kick ass blog! You will have plenty to read since Celeste has been Salesforce blogging since early 2012!!

Me: How & when did you start working with Salesforce?

Celeste: I became a Salesforce admin completely by accident, like so many others. In 2007, I abandoned a 20-year retail management career for a Sales Support position with a small tech startup – super entry-level, answering the phone, doing paperwork, etc. They had purchased Salesforce prior to my arrival, but had not done much customization. The CEO said to me, “Learn this thing, and tell us how to use it.” I read an unbelievable amount of the Help & Training documentation, and began to experiment with everything that I could. My overly logical, obsessive-compulsive mind had finally found something satisfying to focus on, and for the first time in decades, I was not bored. Eventually, 100% of my job was Salesforce administration, and it became the fulfilling career that I never knew I could have. So Awesome! and very similar to my start! 🙂

Me: What is your current role working with Salesforce?

Celeste: I am the sole Salesforce Administrator for a fantastic tech startup, and I am continuously balancing a combination of new configuration projects and system cleanup. There are always business requirements that can be met by new features, and we have loads of legacy customization that should be untangled and removed, so I have a lot of fun because I really enjoy being able to demolish and rebuild. I also do Salesforce admin contracting work as a side job, because I just can’t get enough! #SoloAdmin! Make that $$!

Me: What is your favorite thing to do in Salesforce and why?

Celeste: How does anyone ever answer this question? There are so many! For me, it changes. My favorite thing to do used to be reports and dashboards – I really geek out on getting the data to look pretty and to make sense, and it just warms my heart when I hear execs praising my dashboards. But lately… I’ve become a Process Builder addict! I’ve been able to turn a dozen workflow rules into a single process, and to automate things that previously could only be done with Apex. This is HUGE. Yesss! Using Process Builder to deactivate multiple Workflow Rules Rocks!

Me: Are you currently certified? And if so what certifications do you hold?

Celeste: Yes, I am a Certified Administrator, Advanced Administrator, and Developer. I’ve never taken one of the certification classes, only the exams – I have definitely had to re-learn the art of “studying” as an adult. I’m going to take the Sales Cloud Consultant certification exam at Dreamforce this year, so wish me luck! Congrats! I also never took any classes! oh and Good Luck!! 🙂

Me: What are some of your aspirations and/or goals when it comes to Salesforce?

Celeste: I would really like to improve my Apex skills. I really enjoy being an admin and don’t necessarily want to move into a developer role – but right now, I know just enough to make minor edits to existing code, and that’s not enough. I’d like to learn enough about Apex to be able to at least troubleshoot the code when things go wrong. Another goal of mine is to answer as many questions in the Success Community as Steve Molis – but I’m not sure I can get that done before I retire! LOL it is unreal how many Questions SteveMo has Answered! Readers – if you dont know, click here! Hint -> its in the 5 digits!

Me: Do you have any advice for women working with Salesforce?

Celeste: 1) Realize how crucial your skills are, and do not underestimate the power of a great admin. Change jobs if Salesforce is “just another system” and/or you are undervalued as a Salesforce admin. 2) Find other like-minded people in your area and geek out together – even if you are seriously introverted like me. 3) Hang out in the Success Community! Join groups, follow people who post interesting things, and share your experiences as an admin. The community did not exist in its current form when I was a newbie, and I can’t begin to express how grateful I am to be able to connect with everyone. It’s BETTER THAN FACEBOOK. 4) If possible, go to Dreamforce. This year will be my 8^th Dreamforce in a row! There is truly nothing like it. WAY better than Facebook! I seriously do not know that many people who have been to Dreamforce that many times! This will only be my 4th! I think I may need to get some #DF15 tips from you! 😉

Me: What kinds of things are you involved in, and/or do you like to do outside of the Salesforce world?

Celeste: I love to go hiking and running, especially trail running. I make jewelry that I sell at craft fairs, and I crochet (beginner-level things, like scarves and hats). I am always reading – usually suspense, horror, or crime fiction. And I am in love with the city of New Orleans – my hubby and I try to get down there every year, and we dream of moving there someday. I feel like I am so boring when I read about interesting Girly Geeks like you, Celeste! lol 🙂 Note to self – find a new and interesting hobby! asap!

Me: Are you part of a Girly Geeks Chapter?

Celeste: At Dreamforce 2012, I was invited to a Girly Geeks outing and met some of the most amazing women! I’ve recently joined the Portland Girly Geeks group in the community, but I have not yet been able to attend one of their meetups due to schedule conflicts. That should change after summer, though, and I really look forward to hanging out with such inspiring ladies. 🙂 Its a really great way to network and geek out with like minded women!

It was a pleasure getting to know you Celeste and thank you very much for sharing!

You are definitely an inspiration!

For those of you that want to follow Celeste, here are her links:
Blog: http://www.salesforcesaint.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celestekeller
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesforcesaint
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/106909329807502350878/posts
Twitter handle: @salesforcesaint
Sfdc Community link: https://success.salesforce.com/_ui/core/userprofile/UserProfilePage?u=0053000000An5jkAAB