The Salesforce Surfer Edition #1: From Surfboards and Waves….To Keyboards and Flows Part 1

Hi!

Are you wondering if you have what it takes to make it in the world of Salesforce? Are you making a career change midlife and scared you’re too old to reinvent yourself? Do you have no tech experience and no tech degree, or maybe no college degree at all? Are you an introvert and wondering how in the world you are going to find the courage to put yourself out there? Are you overwhelmed by the behemoth that is Salesforce and looking for some practical guidance to help you cut through all the noise?  Well, keep reading because you’ve come to the right place.

My name is Jon Doherty, the self-described Salesforce Surfer. I’m starting a new series about my journey into the world of Salesforce. I will share with you my life experiences, especially pertaining to surfing and being a small business owner, and what they can teach you about making a successful transition into a Salesforce career. My goal is for this series to be an interesting and practical guide for those new to Salesforce. Each article will highlight a relevant story with at least one mindset change and one practical action take-away to implement on your own path to a Salesforce career. So grab a chair and a cold drink as I share with you a little about my background and my Salesforce journey up to this point!

I was born in the 70s and raised in Los Angeles, California during the 80s. My father was fully enveloped by the surfing revolution of the 50s and 60s. While big wave pioneers like Greg Noll were proving big waves were rideable, California pop culture was taking over the scene with movies like Gidget(1959) and bands like The Beach Boys. By the time the 80s rolled around, surfing had expanded around the world and surf culture permeated the youth of California. Huge companies like Quicksilver, Billabong, Maui and Sons, T&C, Gotcha, O’Neill, and Rip Curl were cranking out surfer clothing and gear. Even for land-locked teenagers, bright neon-colored surf clothing was the standard fare. 

I lived about an hour from the beach but my grandparents lived near Huntington Beach, a famous surf destination. I was shipped off to my grandparent’s house every summer where I would spend every minute I could in the ocean bodyboarding(boogie boarding), which is essentially surfing on a short foam board without standing up. By ten, I had managed to get my hands on my first surfboard, not cheap even in the 80s. My first day out, with my father’s guidance, I rode my first wave standing up and my life changed forever!

As I entered my teenage years, and our relationship became more strained, my father made one of the wisest parenting decisions a father could make; He decided that we needed to spend a lot more time together. Suddenly, surfing was no longer relegated to the summers. We embarked almost every weekend to the beach to surf together. Over the next eight years, we visited every possible surf destination on the coast of California, from San Francisco to San Diego, with occasional trips to Baja California.

I continued surfing as I attended college at UCLA where I majored in Environmental Studies/Geographic Information Systems(my only previous experience with tech) and volunteered with environmental organizations like the Surfrider Foundation and Heal the Bay.  After college, I moved to Malibu, up the coast a bit, where I could surf every day before and/or after work.

Now I have kids of my own.  My youngest daughter, now 18, and I have been hitting the waves together to carry on the family tradition.

For those who tune in for Part 2, you will be rewarded with a picture of me surfing at age 15! If that won’t bring you back, I don’t know what will:))) 

To Be Continued………

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