Salesforce Admins Podcast

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to John Maxey, Senior Product Manager at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how My Trust Center can help admins communicate incidents, plan releases, and operate with transparency. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with John Maxey. From static status pages to personalized trust When I was early in my admin career in 2008, keeping track of status updates was as simple as loading up Salesforce Trust. These days, with so many different products and services, it's gotten a lot more complicated. That's why I was so excited to sit down with John Maxey. He's working on My Trust Center, a personalized, authenticated experience that only shows you information that's relevant to your org. Reducing noise and creating clarity for admins With the new My Trust Center, you'll be able to get more specific information about upcoming maintenance and how it affects your org. Everything is tailored to what products and services you're actually using, instead of having to sift through unrelated incidents and interpret whether or not they apply to you. As John explains, Salesforce can be much more granular about any specific maintenance or updates and how they will affect you. And that makes it easier to make decisions like when to promote new features, when you need to do testing, or when there might be downtime. You can coordinate better with your team and avoid surprises. Greater transparency through targeted communication At its core, My Trust Center is about improving transparency both internally and externally. For admins, it will provide more visibility into what's going on when something doesn't work and when a particular service will be back online. If there's an incident, you won't need to ask your CSM or contact customer support to figure out what happened. RCAs will be attached to each incident, so the entire process is self-serve. And you can configure notifications via SMS, Slack, or email to keep your entire team up to speed. Make sure to listen to the full episode for more from John about what's coming with My Trust Center. And make sure you're subscribed to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Blog Post: Jen's Top Spring '26 Features for Admins Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social John on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Love our podcasts? Subscribe today or review us on iTunes! Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, I am joined by John Maxey to unpack the evolution of the Trust Center into something far more than a status page. That's right. It's becoming a personalized command center for how you run your org. I mean, let's be honest, it's not just about uptime anymore. It's about how you design systems that balance data, automation, and AI while keeping your stakeholders informed and confident. We're going to dig into what My Trust Center means for how you communicate incidences, plan releases, and operate with clarity across increasingly complex environments. So if you're the person everyone turns to when something breaks or when they just think something's broke, this episode's for you. Let's get John on the podcast. So John, welcome to the podcast. John Maxey: Thanks, Mike. Thanks for having me. Mike Gerholdt: Well, this is exciting. So I like it when I can have a podcast and a blog post on the same subject in the same day. And all of this stuff around trust and security, I feel like admins are right there, we're the Sentinels every day. But before we talk about some of the cool stuff that you're working on, let's learn a little bit about John Maxey. So John, how did you get to Salesforce and what is the cool thing that you oversee? John Maxey: Oh, well, thank you for that. So I came to Salesforce in late 2007. I joined as a customer support rep in CSG in our customer success group. I had just come from the FinTech, and if folks remembered, FinTech was kind of not doing well at that time in 2007. So it was an opportunity to switch industries and come to Salesforce. And that was pretty exciting being the ... At the time, our moniker was no software, sort of breaking the mold of traditional software and sort of moving to the cloud. Mike Gerholdt: Yeah. We were talking before I hit record. I think if you do the math, our Salesforce experience is definitely in high school at some point. John Maxey: Seems that way. Mike Gerholdt: They graduated from high school, which is kind of scary at some point. John Maxey: I wish. Mike Gerholdt: I know. Well, it's about to head off to college and make questionable decisions and maybe be a paleontology as a major. Who knows? But we're going to talk about ... So the blog post that went up today on admin.salesforce.com i

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Rebecca Saar, Senior Director of Admin Relations at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about governance, productivity, and why Salesforce Admins are more essential than ever in the agentic enterprise. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Rebecca Saar. Admins are becoming the guardians of trust As AI becomes an ever bigger part of our day-to-day lives, I wanted to bring Rebecca Saar on the pod to talk about what changes and what stays the same. One thing she emphasizes is that admins are here to look at the big picture for their organizations. While it might be easier to build the solution, you still need to figure out what to build in the first place. "It's a shift in mindset and understanding where the work is happening," Rebecca says, "because we now can leverage these super powerful tools." Skills like gathering requirements, talking with stakeholders, and bridging the gap between departments are only going to be amplified by AI—not replaced. Admins act as translators across systems and teams Admins are a crucial intermediary for their organization, connecting the dots between multiple departments to understand what's really going on with a business process. In other words, admins are the ones who understand who to talk to in order to get something done. In my experience as an admin, each business unit only knows their own siloed data. They know where it comes from and who they ship it off to, but they don't know if there are better options, or where there might be a snag in the process. That's where admins need to step in and find a solution that individual business units might not be able to figure out on their own. Strong foundations still matter in an AI world Despite new tools, core admin skills remain essential. In a way, we've moved from problem solver to sense maker. You might not have to spend as much time figuring out who has what permissions, but you'll still be called on to have a conversation about how it should be handled. Just like with everything else, AI can save time on the busywork so you can focus on what matters. At the end of the day, it's even more important to lean into the foundational admin skills to find solutions that work for everyone in your organization. Make sure to listen to the full episode for more from Rebecca Saar about what's coming at TDX, and don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Blog Post: How the Salesforce Administrator Role Is Evolving in the Agentic AI Era Salesforce Admins Blog Post: The Next-Gen Admin: In Conversation With Ishrat Bhatti Salesforce Admins Blog Post: The Next-Gen Admin: In Conversation With Tony Nguyen Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: Why Agentforce Is a Game Changer for Small Businesses Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Rebecca on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: This week on the Salesforce Admins podcast, I sit down with Rebecca Saar, the Senior Director of Admin Relations for Salesforce, to talk about how the admin role is changing as AI and agents become really part of our everyday life. Now, we're going to dig into why Salesforce admins are becoming the guardians of trust, how strong fundamentals still matter, and where human judgment fits in when automation gets smarter. I like to think this is a very thoughtful conversation about governance, productivity, and why Salesforce admins are more essential than ever. So with that, let's get Rebecca on the podcast. So Rebecca, welcome to the podcast. Rebecca: Hi, Mike. Thanks for having me. Mike: It's been a while. Last time you were on, we did an entire episode in German because international podcasts are fun. Rebecca: Yeah. What a ride. How many years ago was that? Mike: Just a few. It's like one or two in Salesforce admin years, which translate differently to the rest of the world. Rebecca: Right. And then I also say we've had a pandemic in between, so that has made time fly. Mike: Yep. Rebecca: And I think that was a pre-pandemic thing. Mike: It was. 100% pre-pandemic. Yep, absolutely. And then since then, you've been on stage quite a few times for the admin keynote. And doing a whole bunch of stuff with the admin relations team. You and I have both been on stage too. Rebecca: I know. Yes, we have been championing admins since 2014? Mike: Since forever. Rebecca: Yes. Dedicating over a decade and celebrating that big decade 10-year anniversary was a couple of years ago. And that was a big highlight for me, being able to share that with everyone on stage at Dreamforce. But yeah, since last time I was on the pod, I have now become the lead of admin relations and kind of leading this amazing team of evangelists and mar

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Neil Foglio, Solution Architect at Arkus. Join us as we chat about how to use a backlog to prioritize requests in your Salesforce org, and how Agentforce can help improve transparency and trust. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Neil Foglio. Why Salesforce Admins need a backlog We talk a lot about forward-looking statements on this podcast, but what about that thing trailing along behind you? That's right, it's your technical debt. If you're facing a mountain of requests, this episode is for you. That's why I sat down with Neil Foglio. He explains how your backlog can be a tool to streamline your Salesforce org and help it evolve with your business. "It's not a to-do list and it's not a task list," Neil says, "it's a commitment that something will be prioritized amongst everything else that you have on your plate." It's a central place to capture all requests, improvements, and ideas, and then evaluate them so you can figure out what to work on and when. Writing better backlog items For Neil, the key to making a backlog that works for you is to write better action items. Make sure that every item starts with an action verb. Instead of "create a new fundraising homepage," be more specific: "design a new Lightning page so gift officers can see donation history." The other key step is to evaluate and prioritize your action items. There are several different systems you can use, but you're generally looking at value, effort, and risk. How much impact will making this change have? What resources will you need to get it done? And finally, what data do you have to support what you believe? For many organizations, there will also be custom dimensions that have their own score. For example, an educational institution may evaluate everything in terms of how it improves student learning. What's important is to establish a clear process and get buy-in from leadership over how things are prioritized. How Agentforce can help with backlogs Managing your Salesforce backlog is even easier with Agentforce. As Neil explains, getting a clear and specific user story is crucial to creating useful action items. You can set up an agent to take requests, and go through the granular details with the user of every action they're taking in a business process so you can get to the why behind their request. Agentforce can also help you improve transparency by explaining the why behind your prioritization decisions. You can have a helper explain what you're working on and when you expect to deliver it. Be sure to listen to the full episode for more from Neil and hear his upright bass playing. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Blog Post: Why Every Admin Needs a Backlog (and How To Use One) Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Neil on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: Welcome to the Salesforce Admins podcast. And hey, you know what? That intro music you hear today, that's actually our guest, Neil Foglio, playing the upright bass. Neil is a solution architect at Arkus. And in this episode, we're talking about something every admin eventually runs into the backlog. Neil shares how thinking about your Salesforce org, more like a product than a project, can change how you manage requests, prioritize improvements, and make sure the right work gets done at the right time. We also dig into practical ways admins can evaluate ideas using simple frameworks like RICE so decisions feel fair and transparent. If you've ever wondered how to handle the constant flow of, "Hey, could we add this request?" This conversation's going to help. So with that, let's get Neil on the podcast. So Neil, welcome to the podcast. Neil Foglio: Hey, Mike, thanks for having me. Mike: I'm excited to talk about this because a lot of things on the podcast we always talk about are future-facing. And I feel like this topic is kind of future-facing, but it's also managing, well, I don't know how best to put it, the burden of debt that we somehow get ourselves into. And in that, it's backlogs, which doesn't sound interesting, but I promise you, you're going to be excited by the end of this podcast. So Neil, let's start off with introducing you to the world and kind of let people know what you do and how you got into the Salesforce ecosystem. Neil Foglio: Yeah, of course. Hello, everyone listening. My name is Neil and I'm a solution architect at Arcus, Inc, where I work with both nonprofits and enterprises implementing Salesforce. Most of my work lately has been helping organizations treat their CRM more like a product than a project, and to rethink how they steer their Salesforce org with their evo

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Cheryl Feldman, Senior Director of Product Management at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how Agentforce is reshaping the Setup experience. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Cheryl Feldman. From 1,300 pages to one conversation Let's be honest. Setup has always been where the real admin magic happens. But it can be surprisingly complicated to answer a simple question, like, "Why can't my user edit this record?" As Cheryl Feldman explains, it's because Setup has slowly grown in complexity over time. As new products and features were added to Salesforce, Setup pages multiplied. And while that level of complexity will always be necessary, it doesn't need to be so hard for admins to navigate. That's where Setup with Agentforce comes in. Whether it's troubleshooting permissions, understanding formulas, or finding the right configuration page, you can do it all with conversational AI instead of wading through 1,300 pages. How to try Setup with Agentforce right now Setup with Agentforce is currently available in open beta, so you can give it a try in production, a sandbox, or a developer org. Cheryl and her team would love to get your feedback. "We want to hear from admins," she says, "Does it help you? And what do you want us to solve next?" Right now, Setup with Agentforce can handle common use cases, like user access, formulas, data model, and Flow. And for questions it can't cover, the agent will pull answers from Salesforce's help and training documentation and point you to the correct Setup pages to get the job done. A simpler, agent-driven future for Setup Right now, Setup with Agentforce focuses on high-impact, everyday Setup tasks. But Cheryl and her team have big plans for the future. One area they're looking at is multi-step orchestration, which will give admins the ability to create objects or fields, grant users access to them, and add them to a layout in one guided process. Instead of jumping between pages, you'll be able to complete related tasks in a single conversational experience. Most importantly, we need your feedback to shape what comes next. Jump on the open beta, reach out to Cheryl and her team, and let's make some admin magic. Check out the full episode for more from Cheryl Feldman. And remember to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Trailblazer Community Group: Setup With Agentforce (Beta) Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: How Do I Understand a Complex Salesforce Formula Quickly? Salesforce Admins Blog: Introducing Setup with Agentforce (Beta): Your New Admin Superpower Dreamforce '25 on Salesforce+: The Future of Setup Powered by Agentforce Dreamforce '25 on Salesforce+: Setup Now with Agentforce: Simplifying the Complex Dreamforce '25 on Salesforce+: Setup with Agentforce: New Superpower for Salesforce Admins Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Cheryl on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Love our podcasts? Subscribe today or review us on iTunes! Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: This week on the Salesforce Admins podcast, well, let's be honest, setup has always been where the real admin magic happens. On this episode, I am talking to Cheryl Feldman, Product Management Senior Director at Salesforce, and longtime admin advocate to unpack how Agentforce is reshaping the way we build, troubleshoot, and think through configuration. From solving tricky user access questions to helping us with formulas and beyond, this is about making setup smarter and more intuitive. With that, let's get Cheryl on the podcast. So Cheryl, welcome to the podcast. Cheryl Feldman: Thanks so much, Mike. I'm excited to be back. Mike Gerholdt : I'm excited to have you back. You were a rockstar at Dreamforce this year, and you're probably going to be a rockstar this whole year. I know in the admin keynote, we demoed Agentforce for Setup. I think I'm using that term right, right? Cheryl Feldman: Setup with Agentforce, but thank you. Yes. Mike Gerholdt : Okay. See, I'm always backwards. Cheryl Feldman: Yes. I was so excited to see that work in the keynote and to see the exciting admin response and excited that we went to beta today. Mike Gerholdt : Oh my God. I feel like I feel as much joy for this as I do when we could customize the homepage. Cheryl Feldman: Yes. Mike Gerholdt : It sounds so small. We're getting in super knee-deep. Let's zoom out for a second because I'm sure there's a lot of new admins that are like, "What are they talking about?" Cheryl, for people that haven't met you and heard you in some of the True to the Core, and some of the Q&A sessions where I feel like Parker just calls on you constantly, could you do a little bit of an introduction of what you do and the fun stuf

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Joshua Birk, Senior Director of Admin Evangelism at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how to get started with Agent Script and how it helps admins build better AI agents. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Joshua Birk. What is Agent Script? Big changes are coming to how admins build AI agents with Salesforce, and so I've brought Josh Birk on the pod to help us understand what's going on with the new Agentforce Builder. There are backend updates to the Atlas Reasoning Engine, but Agent Script is where the rubber meets the road for admins. It's a simple, high-level scripting language that lets you create complex instructions and actions for your agent to follow. Agent Script puts the human in the loop for all the little decisions an AI makes, helping you build more predictable and reliable agentic solutions. If you're comfortable with coding, you can pop open the hood with Script view, but there's also a visual Canvas view to help you see how things fit together and make the changes you want. And as always, you can just tell the Agentforce assistant what you want your agent to be able to do, and it'll list out suggestions for you to accept or decline. Why can't I copy my agents into the new Agent Builder? The biggest question most admins have about the new Agent Builder is why they can't just copy and paste their old agents into the new system. The answer is that the new version uses a completely different engine: hybrid reasoning. Josh uses the example of the transition to Lightning Web Components from Aura and Visualforce. LWC was created to align with modern web standards that simply didn't exist when these older frameworks were developed. The same principle applies to the new Agentforce Builder and the addition of Agent Script. The control that it gives you is a result of the hybrid reasoning engine it's built around. Don't panic, learn Agent Script Josh's biggest piece of advice is to take things slowly. The agents you've built in classic will still work fine, and just like with Visualforce, they're not going to be sunsetted anytime soon. "Salesforce does not like taking away people's toys," Josh says, "you don't need to be in a rush to go and recreate your existing agents in the new Agentforce Builder." Instead, try building new agents with Agent Script. It'll give you a better idea of just how much more control and reliability is possible. And once you've gotten your feet wet, you'll have a better idea of what you'll get when you update your existing agents. As Josh says, "Don't panic, learn Agent Script." There's more great stuff from my conversation with Josh about Agent Script and the new Agentforce Builder, so be sure to take a listen. And make sure you're subscribed to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Blog: Build With Confidence: Inside the New Agentforce Builder Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Josh on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Love our podcasts? Subscribe today or review us on iTunes! Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, if you've ever been wondering why you can't just copy and paste your old agents into the new version, this episode is for you. I'm joined by Josh Birk, who recently walked our admin relations team through what's really changing with Agent Builder and Agentforce. And more importantly, why it matters. We're going to unpack a little bit of hybrid reasoning, what determinism really means for admins, and how Agent Script gives you even more control without losing all of that magic. So with that, let's get Josh on the podcast. So Josh, welcome back to the podcast. Josh Birk: Thanks for having me, Mike. Mike Gerholdt: Well, we know that a few people are vibing now because of the dulcet tones of Josh Birk. So in all honesty, you were in a team meeting last week and you were kind of updating the team on stuff that's coming out for new products and beta products. And the biggest thing that you always explain is like, so why is this important? Josh Birk: Yeah. Mike Gerholdt: And of course, every now and then you end your little skit with, "Thanks for attending my TED Talk." Josh Birk: Yeah. Mike Gerholdt: And I remember last week's meeting, I was like, "Oh man, that's a podcast. I need to do that." Josh Birk: Yeah. Mike Gerholdt: Because the way that you would explained what was new with Agent Builder and Agentforce, I was just like, "Oh, that totally makes sense to me." So this is where we're at and this is what I was hoping we would talk about. Josh Birk: Yeah. And I'll have to try because I kind of remember getting into a very weird, almost like conspiracy theory level stream of consciousness. Mike Gerho

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Kate Lessard, Lead Admin Evangelist at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about the new True to the Core Deep Dive sessions coming to TDX. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Kate Lessard. True to the Core Deep Dives are coming to TDX If you've been enjoying the True to the Core Deep Dive video series, we've got something exciting coming up for you at TDX. Each month, we host a virtual Q&A session with Salesforce product leaders about a topic chosen by the community. It's a great opportunity to dig into tough use cases and thorny questions around a specific area of the platform. The video series has been so helpful that we're going to take it a step further. This year at TDX, we'll have four live True to the Core Deep Dive sessions on specific topics, like flow and automation. These will be can't-miss events, and Kate Lessard is here to tell us what she has in store. Direct access to product leaders "The chance to actually connect directly with the Salesforce product leaders on those core platform topics is worth its weight in gold," Kate says. It's not just about solving problems; it's about understanding the thinking behind why things work the way they do and where the product roadmap might be headed. If you're newer to the Salesforce ecosystem and worried that things might get too technical, Kate encourages you to check out these breakout sessions. "There's a lot that you can gain from just being in the room, seeing who those product leaders are, hearing what's top of mind for them, and how they're answering questions," she says. You can better prepare for what's coming next on the platform, and you never know when a random use case you came across might apply to you and your org. And even if you can't be there in person, you can participate virtually on Salesforce+. How admins should prepare for TDX TDX is such a great opportunity to level up your technical skills and get to know the product better. One thing I used to do to prepare was conduct an audit of my Salesforce org. What products are we using? Where are we having problems? Where are we going next? Figuring out what you're interested in can help you make the most of your time at TDX. Hopefully, you'll come back armed with information and insights to help your stakeholders chart a path forward with Salesforce. Listen to the full episode for more from my conversation with Kate about True to the Core Deep Dives at TDX, and be sure to catch her on Kate Clicks Through It. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: What Is True to the Core Deep Dive? Saleforce Admins Blog: 5 New Experiences You Can't Miss at TDX 2026 Saleforce Admins Blog: Introducing True to the Core Deep Dive: In-Depth Product Conversations with Salesforce PMs Saleforce Admins Blog: True to the Core Deep Dive YouTube Series: True to the Core Deep Dive YouTube Series: Kate Clicks Through It Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Kate on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: Welcome to Salesforce Admins podcast. This week I'm joined by Kate Lessard to talk about the brand new True to the Core Deep Dive sessions coming to TDX and why they might just be your favorite part of the event. We dig into how these sessions are shaped by community feedback, what Salesforce admins, especially the newer ones, can expect, and how to ask better questions to get some real value from our product leaders. Kate also shares some practical tips on preparing for TDX, so you walk away ahead of the curve. So with that, let's get Kate on the podcast. So Kate, welcome to the podcast. Kate Lessard: Thanks. Happy to be back, it's been a while. Mike Gerholdt: It's been a while, yes or no, except if people are attuned to our YouTube page. You're on Shorts whenever I'm not publishing something about the podcast, so they're staying up to date. It's not like you've gone missing. Kate Lessard: No, no. I love being able to just share those top of minds and the things that are important or the lessons that we're learning as we really dive into Agentforce and all of the different things that we're learning over here, especially we just went through a new release and there are always fun new features to call out. Mike Gerholdt: Constantly. And we're heading into spring and spring means, besides new release, TDX. Kate Lessard: Yeah. That's an exciting time of year. Mike Gerholdt: I think so because it's kind of our shake the winter off, go out, see some fresh demos and some new stuff. I know as we're recording this podcast, kind of content is in flight and things are being worked on and ironed on, and so is it fair to say sneak peek or I forget, we use all thes

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Gaurang Mathur, Senior Product Manager on the AI App Development team at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how Setup with Agentforce is changing the way admins create, modify, and understand formulas. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Gaurang Mathur. The massive scale of Salesforce Formulas If you're like me, you've spent more time than you'd like combing through your formulas for missing parentheses and commas. That's where this week's guest, Gaurang Mathur, comes in. As a Senior Product Manger on the AI App Development team at Salesforce, he's trying to make formulas a little easier for admins with Setup with Agentforce. According to Gaurang, there are 5 billion formulas executed on Salesforce each month. They're created, managed, and modified by 7 million admins and developers. The scale of formulas is truly massive, and they're a fundamental building block of Salesforce. However, that means they're difficult to work with, and that's where the Setup with Agentforce beta comes in. How Setup with Agentforce simplifies formulas We know that AI is really good at summarizing, debugging, and processing large amounts of information very quickly. Setup with Agentforce lets admins harness those agentic powers to make formulas easier to work with. You can diagnose problems, change an automation, or add something new. Gaurang sees Setup with Agentforce as a game-changer for admins working with inherited orgs. If something isn't working or you need to make changes, you're usually spending hours wading through formulas to sort out what's essential and what's just buried tech debt. With the beta, you'll be able to get a helping hand from an AI agent that can validate, describe, and even fix your formulas. Instead of having to figure out what does what, you can focus on making decisions and building something that works faster than ever before. What's next for AI in Salesforce As far as what's coming next, Gaurang thinks that AI will continue to amplify what we can build in Salesforce. As he points out, we've actually been using AI for almost a decade in things like navigation apps, recommendations, and even autocorrect. There's no reason to be intimidated. Looking forward, his team is looking at ways to use AI to collect feedback and make adjustments that make it even easier to work with and more powerful for users. Make sure to listen to the full episode for more from Gaurang about formulas and Setup with Agentforce. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: Setup with Agentforce Makes Salesforce Admin Tasks Easier Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: How Agentforce Vibes Is Changing How Salesforce Admins Build Apps Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: Exploring Agentforce Vibes Through Real-World Admin Use Cases Trailblazer Community Group: Setup With Agentforce (Beta) Salesforce Admins Blog: Introducing Setup with Agentforce (Beta): Your New Admin Superpower Dreamforce '25 on Salesforce+: The Future of Setup Powered by Agentforce Dreamforce '25 on Salesforce+: Setup Now with Agentforce: Simplifying the Complex Dreamforce '25 on Salesforce+: Setup with Agentforce: New Superpower for Salesforce Admins Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Gaurang on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: Welcome to The Salesforce Admins Podcast. Today on the podcast, I'm joined by Gaurang Mathur, product manager on the AI App Dev team at Salesforce, and we're going to talk about something every admin has wrestled with at some point, which is formulas. And we're also going to hit on how setup with Agentforce is changing the way we create, modify, and even understand them. Hooray. I can always use some formula help. So Gaurang is going to share with us how agents can validate, fix, and describe formulas right inside setup, and why that matters, especially if you've inherited an org or you need to do something super fast. We also touch on Agentforce Vibes, which you heard in last week's episode with Tiaan and some developer workflows and kind of what it means to build smarter with tools using AI. So if you're like me and you've ever stared at missing parentheses and wondered why your formula won't save, this episode's for you. And with that, let's get Gaurang on the podcast. So, Gaurang, welcome to the podcast. Gaurang Mathur: Hey, Mike. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Mike: Absolutely. Well, after we talked with Cheryl, it was important that I get a lot of the people that she works with on the podcast, because you guys are doing some really exciting things around set up with Agentforce, I think I said that correctly, and just some of the things wit

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Tiaan Kruger, Senior Director of Product Management at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about Agentforce Vibes and what it really means to build with AI on the Salesforce platform. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Tiaan Kruger. Agentforce Vibes is evolving If you caught the Admin Keynote at Dreamforce '25, you might recognize Tiaan from his Setup with Agentforce and Slackbot demos. Right now, he's looking at new ways to help admins expand their toolkits with Agentforce Vibes. As Tiaan explains, Agentforce Vibes is developing so rapidly that it often surprises the people who build it. When one of his team members was building a React demo that featured a dashboard, they realized it would look pretty boring without some sample data. They asked the Vibes Agent to spin something up, and it delivered (after a few tries). "These agents surprise even us," Tiaan says, "we're still discovering where its power lies and where its potentials are." And that's why it's a good time to look ahead at how Vibes will change the game for admins. AI as a tool for reducing technical debt "When I was a customer developer, we always had a two-year backlog," Tiaan says. Even with a big team, there's always too much to do and you're constantly accumulating technical debt. This kind of grunt work is where he sees Agentforce Vibes making a big difference, which gives you more space to look at the bigger picture. Tiaan points to Code Analyzer as an example. You can use it to quickly scan your org and identify where there are performance or security issues that you should take a closer look at. An admin might not be able to fix it themselves, but they can hand it off to a developer team and speed up the process. There are also some exciting things coming with React and Agentforce, which will allow you to create compelling, high-quality UIs for your apps. It's all about giving you more tools to get the ball rolling and build apps faster than ever before. How to help Agentforce Vibes help you In order to get the most out of these new features, you need to make it easy for agents to understand what's going on in your org. "If you don't have good descriptions on everything in your org," Tiaan says, "please, for the love of donuts, fill those fields in." Having good metadata will help you get the most out of everything Agentforce has to offer. The future is bright, so Salesforce Admins need to get ready. Make sure to listen to the full episode for more from Tiaan about how Agentforce Vibes will help admins. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Dreamforce '25 Admin Keynote: Admins Power the Agentic Enterprise Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: Exploring Agentforce Vibes Through Real-World Admin Use Cases Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Tiaan on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: Welcome to the Salesforce Admins Podcast. So today, I'm joined by Tiaan Kruger and we're talking about something that's showing up literally everywhere right now. And that is Agentforce Vibe coding and what it really means to build with AI on the Salesforce platform. We get into how admins can use agents to move faster without losing best practices, and why oh why understanding your org still matters more than ever. And one of the things we tackle is where this whole thing is headed sooner or later than you think. So if you've ever been curious about Agentforce Vibes and not sure where it fits into your day-to-day admin life, I promise you this episode is for you. So with that, let's get Tiaan on the podcast. So Tiaan, welcome to the podcast. Tiaan Kruger: Thank you, Mike. Thank you for having me. Mike Gerholdt: Well, it was not that long ago that we had Cheryl Feldman on. And Cheryl's circle of influence outside and inside Salesforce is a gravitational pull. And of course, we all know that set up with Agentforce is going to be huge at TDX and it's huge right now. So we wanted to talk to more people that were making admins lives wonderful. And she suggested you. Plus you were in the admin keynote. And I feel like I have to have admin keynoters on the podcast too. So there's the really long intro for... But let's talk about you. How did you get started at Salesforce and what's the cool thing you're working on that we're going to talk about? Tiaan Kruger: Yeah. So I've actually been at Salesforce, I guess coming up on seven years, which is absolutely mind-boggling. I was a customer for 10 years. Spent a lot of time as an admin and Apex developer. I wrote Visualforce. Some of you may have heard of that before. But I work as part of a large team at an enterprise company trying to make Salesforce ma

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Joshua Birk, Senior Director of Admin Evangelism at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how the human in the loop is key to building reliable, predictable AI. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Joshua Birk. Understanding the guardrails around AI It seems like every week, there's a new headline about an AI agent doing something it shouldn't. As Josh explains, that's because we're still in the process of understanding AI as a tool. That's why we sat down to discuss how to build predictable, reliable solutions in Agentforce. When an agent behaves non-deterministically, it's usually because there weren't enough guardrails in place. The thing is, if you're building an AI agent to do everything, it's hard to control what it can and cannot do. Josh's advice is to narrow the scope of your agent and build it for a very specific purpose. This makes it easier to build guardrails and also allows you to test it thoroughly before release. A QA engineer walks into a bar… When it comes to testing, there's an old programming joke that comes to mind. A QA engineer walks into a bar. He orders a drink. He orders five drinks. He orders zero drinks. He orders infinite drinks. He orders a horse. However, when the first real customer walks in and asks where the bathroom is, the entire bar bursts into flames. As Josh explains, it's important to test for all sorts of weird edge cases and make sure your agent performs predictably. But it's even more important to think things through from the user's perspective so you don't miss something that should be obvious. AI can do extraordinary things, but you still need a human in the loop. The first part of testing is planning Josh emphasizes that the first part of testing is planning: "What are the Ifs? What are the Thens? What are the things you absolutely don't want it to do?" The more specifically you can answer these questions, the easier it will be to build and test agentic solutions that are predictable and reliable. The most effective AI agents aren't autonomous solutions. They're tools that give the humans who use them superpowers. You still need a human in the loop to make sure they're used for good. Be sure to listen to my full conversation with Josh for more about testing and building in Agentforce. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch a new episode every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admin Blog: How Agentforce Service Assistant Helps Salesforce Admins Become AI Leaders Salesforce Admin Blog: Metadata Is Your Admin Blueprint for Building Better Agents Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: Exploring Agentforce Vibes Through Real-World Admin Use Cases with Daryl Moon Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Josh on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we're welcoming back our good friend, Josh Birk, to kick off February with a conversation. Well, it's part podcast, part social experiment. Josh and I sat down to talk AI, specifically how admins can plan, test, and build with confidence using guardrails in Agentforce. We cover everything from deterministic responses to chaotic desktops and why designing with trust, maybe a little touch of humor, matters most. So whether you're rolling out your first agent or refining your AI game plan, this episode's got insights for you. So give it a listen and let me know if you like the format or not because, hey, maybe we just might make this a regular thing. With that, let's get Josh on the podcast. So, Josh, welcome back to the podcast. Josh Birk: Thanks for having me, Mike. Mike: Continuing the theme, we kicked this around... No one's heard this conversation. We're just going to start here... of having two evangelists talking for a podcast. Josh Birk: Yeah. Yeah. Mike: And so we're going to start February off with that. And then we're going to do a social experiment, and for people listening, if they like this, then maybe we repeat it once a month. Josh Birk: Oh. I like these social experiments. Let's see what happens. Mike: I know. It's on the listeners. Also, Josh, we have to keep this under 30 minutes so that Daryl can make it from his house- Josh Birk: Can make it... Right. Right. Mike: ... to the dock and get his boat in the water. Josh Birk: Yeah. I remember when I first did my first 40-minute episode and I felt guilty because one of my guests was like, "I like the 20-minute episodes because that's exactly how long I walk my dog." So I'm like, "Well, okay, now you can walk your dog twice," question mark. Mike: I know. Nope. Once you hit pause, they're gone forever. I was the same way. Selfishly, that's how these podcasts are as short as they were is I wanted something I

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Cheryl Feldman, Senior Director of Product Management at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how Agentforce will make Setup smarter, faster, and way more helpful. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Cheryl Feldman. Setup made simple Cheryl Feldman is on a quest to make Setup easier for admins, and she's the perfect person to get it done. She's been a Salesforce customer, an admin, and an architect, so she knows how difficult it can be to answer seemingly simple questions, like, "How do I get a list of users that can modify all data?" Right now, you need to run a SOQL query for that. That's about to change with Setup with Agentforce. You'll be able to use a conversational interface to manage users and user access, troubleshoot formulas, and much more. And Cheryl's just getting started. How you can make Setup with Agentforce even better Setup with Agentforce is available now in open beta. You can access it in production, a sandbox, or a developer org. Right now, it covers the most common use cases in Setup. For other questions, the agent can give you an answer from Salesforce's help and training documentation and help you navigate to the correct Setup page. While these features are already game-changing, Cheryl wants your help to make Setup with Agentforce even better. "We want to hear from admins," she says, "Does it help you? And what do you want us to solve next?" Help shape the future of Setup Cheryl and her team are already building a framework to expand Setup with Agentforce beyond the most common use cases. They're looking at multi-step orchestration, which will enable you to seamlessly create objects or fields, manage access to them, and add them to dynamic forms, all in one place. So please, give Setup with Agentforce a try. Your feedback will help shape a smarter, simpler future for admins everywhere. Make sure to listen to the full episode for more from my conversation with Cheryl Feldman. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Trailblazer Community Group: Setup With Agentforce (Beta) Salesforce Admins Blog: Introducing Setup with Agentforce (Beta): Your New Admin Superpower Dreamforce '25 on Salesforce+: The Future of Setup Powered by Agentforce Dreamforce '25 on Salesforce+: Setup Now with Agentforce: Simplifying the Complex Dreamforce '25 on Salesforce+: Setup with Agentforce: New Superpower for Salesforce Admins Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Cheryl on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt : This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we're welcoming back Cheryl Feldman, Product Management Senior Director here at Salesforce. Well, to talk about something that's changing the game for admins, namely Agentforce for Setup. Cheryl's going to give us a behind the scenes look at how this conversational tool is making setups smarter, faster, and way more helpful. So from formulas to user access to cloning users, it's all about to get easier and way more admin friendly. Not to mention, Cheryl's also going to share with us how her own journey from admin to product manager helps her shape what gets built. So I can't wait. With that, let's get Cheryl on the podcast. So Cheryl, welcome to the podcast. Cheryl Feldman: Thanks so much, Mike. I'm excited to be back. Mike Gerholdt : I'm excited to have you back. You were a rockstar at Dreamforce this year, and you're probably going to be a rockstar this whole year. I know in the admin keynote, we demoed Agentforce for Setup. I think I'm using that term right, right? Cheryl Feldman: Setup with Agentforce, but thank you. Yes. Mike Gerholdt : Okay. See, I'm always backwards. Cheryl Feldman: Yes. I was so excited to see that work in the keynote and to see the exciting admin response and excited that we went to beta today. Mike Gerholdt : Oh my God. I feel like I feel as much joy for this as I do when we could customize the homepage. Cheryl Feldman: Yes. Mike Gerholdt : It sounds so small. We're getting in super knee-deep. Let's zoom out for a second because I'm sure there's a lot of new admins that are like, "What are they talking about?" Cheryl, for people that haven't met you and heard you in some of the True to the Core, and some of the Q&A sessions where I feel like Parker just calls on you constantly, could you do a little bit of an introduction of what you do and the fun stuff you get to work on at Salesforce? Cheryl Feldman: Sure. My name is Cheryl Feldman, and I'm a Product Manager in platform. Been at Salesforce about four and a half years now. Prior to joining Salesforce, I was actually a customer for just over 18 years in, starting out as an admin, moved into more leadership and managem

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Laura Pelkey, Director of Customer Security Communications & Engagement, and Kylie McKlveen, Director of Product Marketing at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how admins can level up the security of their orgs using a simple framework for understanding security in Salesforce. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Laura Pelkey and Kylie McKlveen. The three key areas of Salesforce security Security can feel complicated and unapproachable, especially at the pace at which the Salesforce platform is evolving and changing. How can admins keep up and make sure that their org's data is protected? Luckily, Laura and Kylie are here to help. It starts with a practical framework for understanding Salesforce security. They break it down into three key areas: Invisibles: What Salesforce is already doing to protect your org. Examples include network-level security, infrastructure, application-level security, and a global 24/7 threat response and monitoring team. Configurables: What you can do as a Salesforce Admin to improve your Salesforce security. Think security settings, controls, and layering permission sets to follow the principle of least privilege. Enhanceables: Extra steps you can take to protect sensitive data or meet industry-specific regulations. These are tools you can add to your org, like Salesforce Shield, Security Center, and Salesforce Backup and Recover. Put it all together, and you have a clear plan of action for how you can level up the security of your org. How Agentforce will bring agentic security to your org "There's a lot of amazing AI technology out there now," Laura says, "but unfortunately, the attackers, the hackers, the bad guys, whatever you want to call them, are also leveraging this technology, and they're doing so in ways that make it harder to spot when malware is happening." In the Dreamforce Security Keynote, they demonstrated this by doing a live deepfake of a Salesforce executive. It's getting easier for attackers to use AI for social engineering or even just a better-worded phishing attack. Luckily, Salesforce is fighting back with two new features coming soon. With Agentforce in Security Center, you will be able to detect, investigate, and remediate threats to your org with a simple conversation. Agentforce in Privacy Center will help automate some of the hard work around complying with constantly evolving regulations. These new agentic features will make security and compliance faster, easier, and more accessible. Walking through the security steps you can take right now For now, Laura and Kylie's advice to improve your Salesforce security is to dive into the configurables. The "Trusted Enterprise Security" video series is a handy guide to walk you through all of the steps you can take to drastically improve the security of your org. Check out the Dreamforce Security Keynote on Salesforce+ to learn more about what threats are out there and how you can fight back. And remember to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Security Keynote: Protecting the Agentic Enterprise The 360 Blog: Laura on security The 360 Blog: Reduce Manual Security Tasks With Agentforce in Security Center The 360 Blog: Automate Manual Compliance Processes with Agentforce in Privacy Center YouTube series: Trusted Enterprise Security: Built on Salesforce Meet the Long-Lost Fourth Member of Snap, Crackle and Pop Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Laura on LinkedIn Kylie on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we're diving into some security framework that you've either seen online or at Dreamforce, specifically wrapping your head around invisibles, configurables, and enhanceables. So this week I am joined by longtime podcaster and security champion Laura Pelkey and new voice and new to the Salesforce Trusted Services Team, Kylie McCleven. They are both here to help us unpack how we can think about the security layers baked into the platform, the settings they control, and the tools available for us to go even further. Plus we also jump into a little bit about what AI means for keeping your org secure. This is a fun podcast, and we also bring in a little bit of pop culture. I won't ruin it, but Sylvester Stallone does make an appearance in this episode. So with that, let's get Laura and Kylie on the podcast. So Kylie and Laura, welcome to the podcast. Laura Pelkey: Hey, Mike. Kylie McKlveen: Hey, thanks for having us. Mike Gerholdt: I know. This is going to be fun, even though... Well Laura's a long time podcaster, so she makes security fun, but Kylie's a new voice. So Laura, let's start with you. Refresh everybody, wha

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Daryl Moon, Founder of CertifyCRM.com. Join us as we chat about how curiosity and a test-first mindset can help you get the most out of Agentforce Vibes. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Daryl Moon. Fishing and the art of AI maintenance Daryl came into tech as a generalist who did a bit of everything: hardware, software, networking, whatever needed doing. One fateful day, however, he took on a contract to import some spreadsheets into a CRM and ended up as the de facto Salesforce Admin for his organization. Just like everyone else, Daryl has spent the last year trying to get his head around AI and how to separate the smoke and mirrors from the actual potential value. A keen fisherman, his mind was blown one day when he used AI to summarize the fishing reports from his local bait and tackle shop and immediately went out and caught six fish. How Daryl got started with Agentforce Vibes On one of his trips to the local boat ramp, Daryl decided to throw on the ol' Salesforce Admins Podcast, where he happened to catch our episode about Agentforce Vibes with Josh Birk. He was already planning to work on a video about new Apex features in Spring '26, so he figured he'd give Agentforce a shot. Daryl decided that the best way to learn about Agentforce Vibes was to try to build something simple that he was already familiar with. He spun up a developer org and asked the AI to build a Lightning Web Component for open opportunities, and while there were several things about it that didn't quite work as intended, he was impressed with how Agentforce Vibes would take things step by step using the plan and act modes. What to build first with Agentforce Vibes In order to learn more about building in Agentforce Vibes, Daryl decided to take it a step further. What would happen if he tried to build an entire application? He ended up getting most of what he asked for, though the AI got stuck on building a few automations. Most importantly, it got him 80% of the way there for 10% of the time investment. Daryl's biggest piece of advice for any admin trying to learn Agentforce Vibes is to start by building something you already know. AI is a tool like any other, so work with something familiar so you can properly judge how well it's working. Make sure to listen to the full episode for more from Daryl about how he learned Agentforce Vibes. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: How Agentforce Vibes Speeds Up Admin Workflows Salesforce Admins Blog: Introduction to Agentforce Vibes for Salesforce Admins Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Daryl on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: Welcome to the Salesforce Admins Podcast. This week I am joined by Daryl Moon, retired fishing enthusiast, but that's not what we're talking about. He is a longtime Salesforce pro who recently dove into Agentforce Vibes and he's going to bring us along for the ride. So from tinkering with lightning web components to building a full-on job seeker app, Darryl shares how his curiosity and a test first mindset helped him explore this new AI tool. And of course, we talk about some unexpected challenges of token limits, but that's going to happen when you're learning something. So if you've ever wondered whether Agentforce Vibes is worth your time, this episode is for you. And with that, let's get Daryl on the podcast. So, Daryl, welcome to the podcast. Daryl Moon: Thanks, Mike. Mike: I'm very excited to have you on, especially after you posted on LinkedIn that you decided to jump in feet first into vibe coding, so I definitely want to talk about that. But before we get to that, I'd love to learn a little bit more about Daryl Moon. So, Daryl, tell us, how did you get started with Salesforce and what got you into vibe coding? Daryl Moon: Yeah. Look, I'll try and keep it short and sweet. But basically, I was working overseas and then returned to Australia in 2014. And obviously, was looking for a job because I'd been away for 10 years. And the IT industry, during that time, had changed a lot. I was a bit of a generalist, I'd done a bit of everything. A bit of application development, a bit of hardware, software, networking. So I came back to this environment where the job roles were very specialized and I was finding it a bit hard to find a role that really fitted me. So I managed to find this one that was a contract just for a couple of weeks to fix up some spreadsheets and I thought, "Excel, I can do that." And that turned out to be fix up some spreadsheets that had all this data that they're importing into a CRM. A CRM, which at the time wasn't Salesforce, it was ano

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Rebecca Sherrill, VP, and Shelly Erceg, Product Leader, both on the Salesforce Research and Insights team. Join us as we chat about the newest updates to IdeaExchange, including RoadmapExchange and Idea Insights, and why now is the perfect time to get involved. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Rebecca Sherrill and Shelly Erceg. How feedback shapes the product roadmap If you've ever wondered what happens after you submit an Idea to the IdeaExchange, this episode is for you. The Product Research and Insights team has been working on several new things to improve transparency and enhance collaboration between PMs and the Salesforce community. Joining us for this episode are Rebecca Sherrill and Shelly Erceg. Rebecca started at Salesforce in user research, where she talked to, interviewed, and observed hundreds of admins to better understand their needs. "I have a huge appreciation for the admin community because I spent so much time with them during those years," she says. Shelly, meanwhile, started as a PM on workflow and process automation tools, building products like Process Builder and part of the Flow engine. "Admins are my jam," she says. On the Product Research and Insights team, she's focused on IdeaExchange and True to the Core. Together, they're here to tell us about how RoadmapExchange and Idea Insights will help you see how your feedback influences the product roadmap. What is RoadmapExchange? If you've ever submitted to IdeaExchange, it's natural to ask yourself, "How do I know if they're working on my Idea? Is it ever going to be implemented? If not, why?" That was the impetus behind RoadmapExchange, which maps ideas to Salesforce product roadmaps. The goal is to offer a peek behind the curtain, allowing you to see what the product team is working on right now and what they're considering for the future. Most importantly, it allows the community to provide feedback and use cases to help guide the product team's decisions. "It's an opportunity to help shape what we build," Shelly says, and it also gives you a better idea of what's coming so you don't waste resources solving a problem that the product team is already working on. Get in on the conversation with Idea Insights The other IdeaExchange feature that Rebecca and Shelly are really excited about is Idea Insights. After twenty years, there are a lot of ideas out there. Idea Insights provides context into what's happening right now in four key areas: Top Trending Ideas with the most votes overall from the past year. Recently Updated Ideas by the Salesforce product team. Top Open Ideas of all time by cloud. Recently Delivered Ideas to check out in the product. The goal is to keep you up to date with everything happening on IdeaExchange. On the other side of things, the product team is making a push to provide more transparency and updates about Ideas, even if it's something that's not in the cards right now. Finally, if you don't have a lot of time, Rebecca encourages you to take a look at the Salesforce Research Program. All you have to do is fill out a form about yourself, and you'll only be invited to participate in things that are really relevant to you—we'll even pay you for your time. The Research and Insights team wants to hear from you, so be on the lookout for Rebecca and Shelly at a Dreamin' event near you. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce 360 blog: A Guide to RoadmapExchange: Your Feedback, Next Steps Salesforce 360 blog: Delivering on Your Feedback: Introducing Idea Insights Sign up: Salesforce Research Program Salesforce Admins blog: Introducing True to the Core Deep Dive: In-Depth Product Conversations with Salesforce PMs Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Rebecca on LinkedIn Shelly on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: This week on the Salesforce Admins podcast, we're diving deep into the evolution of the IdeaExchange with two very familiar voices, Rebecca Sherrill and Shelly Erceg from Salesforce's research and insights team. They're here to unpack the newest updates like Roadmap Exchange and Idea Insights. And why now is the prime time for Salesforce admins to get reengaged with the IdeaExchange. So if you've ever wondered what happens after you submit an idea, or how your feedback actually influences the product roadmap, this episode's for you. So let's get Rebecca and Shelly on the podcast. So Shelly and Rebecca, welcome to the podcast, or should I say welcome back to the podcast? Rebecca Sherrill: Thank you. Super excited to be here. Shelly Erceg: Thank you so much. Mike: Both of you are veterans of the podcast, but both are back for a differe

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Jennifer Lee, Joshua Birk, and Kate Lessard from the Admin Evangelist team at Salesforce. Join us as we look at what's next for admins and Agentforce in 2026 and revisit our predictions from last year. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Jennifer Lee, Joshua Birk, and Kate Lessard. Revisiting our predictions for 2025 Happy New Year! Last January, I asked the Admin Evangelist team to make predictions for 2025. So let's check in on those and see how we did. Josh Birk promised that admins would find building with Agentforce to be easier than they expected. I think that's turned out to be true, especially with resources from Salesforce like Agentforce NOW to help you get started. However, building agents is only part of AI adoption. There's still plenty of work to be done to get organizational buy-in and get the most out of Agentforce. Jennifer Lee was excited about the potential of Setup with Agentforce. And while these new features didn't make it out of pilot in 2025, she's still excited about how much easier things will be when it goes live. And if you want to see it in action, check out the Admin Keynote from Dreamforce '25. Finally, Kate Lessard was all about security for 2025 and how important it will be for AI adoption. Time and again, what she's found is that getting Agentforce buy-in at your organization starts with a clear governance story. Dreamforce '25 featured our first-ever Security Keynote, so this is a topic that will continue to be top-of-mind for admins. What's on the 2026 Roadmap for Salesforce Admins? Next, I wanted to ask the team to make predictions for 2026. For Josh, it's not just about the agents that admins can build. It's about the agents that help you get more things done on the backend. With tools like Setup powered by Agentforce, Agentforce for Security, and Agentforce Vibes, there are more and more ways to amplify your skills with AI. In other words, it's agents all the way down. Jen, as always, is all about automation. As she puts it, "Without any type of automation, how good are your agents?" In 2026, she sees admins building with smaller, simpler flows that leave the heavy lifting to AI agents. With your Agentforce skills amplifying your automation skills, you can simplify complicated processes without breaking a sweat. Meanwhile, for Kate, 2026 will be all about finding new partners in the organization. Admins will need a seat at the table with security teams, legal teams, and business leadership to ensure a trusted AI implementation. In 2026, admins will have the agency to do what? Finally, on the theme of agents and agency, I asked the team: "In 2026, admins will have the agency to do… what?" For Jen, it's bringing innovation into your company by being at the forefront of everything that's going on with Salesforce. Trying new tools, looking for new ways to simplify business processes, and becoming the AI expert at your organization. Josh gives some examples of that expertise in action. He predicts that admins will feel more empowered to jump in and build Lightning Web Components or even an Apex class with the help of AI. It's not about replacing developers, but expanding the potential for collaboration. Obviously, Kate is focused on the importance of proactive AI governance. "When governance is reactive, admins get forced into cleanup mode," she says. So Salesforce Admins need to build strong partnerships with their stakeholders to make sure any AI implementation is safe and secure. Be sure to listen to the full episode for insights from Kate, Josh, and Jen. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Happy New Year! Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Agentforce NOW Dreamforce '25 Admin Keynote: Admins Power the Agentic Enterprise Dreamforce '25 Security Keynote: Protecting the Agentic Enterprise Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Jen on LinkedIn Josh on LinkedIn Kate on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Love our podcasts? Subscribe today or review us on iTunes! Full show transcript Mike: Happy New Year and welcome to 2026 and the Salesforce Admins Podcast. Well, this year, we're going to kick things off by revisiting a tradition we started last year, which was future-gazing, with Josh Birk, Jennifer Lee and Kate Lessard on the Admin Evangelist team. Now, in this episode, we're going to get you started for 2026 by revisiting all of our predictions from 2025, and then exploring what lies ahead for Salesforce admins in this new year. From Agentforce breakthroughs to proactive governance, everybody brought some very sharp insights and a few surprises. And because it's the new year, it's a fresh start and the perfect time to plan your roadmap ahead for this year. So with that, let's

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, a holiday fable. The Gift of the Admin Once, in a company not unlike yours, There was an Admin named Riley— The kind of Admin who could fix a broken report Before the requestor even finished explaining it. Now, every season brought its own challenges. Deadlines, new features, odd little mysteries That crept into the org like snowflakes— Unique, intricate, and occasionally inconvenient. But this season felt different. People were tired. Teams were stretched. And the org itself seemed to sigh Under the weight of so many expectations. So Riley decided to give a gift. Not a wrapped one, Not a shiny one, But a gift only an Admin could give: Clarity. Riley began quietly, almost invisibly— Cleaning up old fields no one used, Fixing automation that everyone complained about But no one had time to understand. Organizing objects like a librarian Restoring order to a well-loved shelf. They documented things no one remembered building. They created a dashboard that told the truth In a way executives could finally understand. They met with a team that felt unheard And turned their ideas into something real. Little by little, the org brightened. People moved with more confidence. Decisions came easier. Work flowed instead of stumbled. And one morning, someone said, "I don't know what changed, But everything just feels clearer." Riley just smiled. The best Admin work often goes unseen— But never unfelt. Because the gift of the Admin Isn't the features they build Or the bugs they squash Or the fires they quietly put out. The gift of the Admin Is alignment. The gift of the Admin Is understanding. The gift of the Admin Is a better tomorrow, Built one thoughtful choice at a time. And that's a gift Every org needs— No matter the season. Make sure subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to hear a new episode every week. Happy holidays! Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Love our podcasts? Subscribe today or review us on iTunes! Full show transcript Happy holidays, Salesforce Admins. Rather than a traditional episode, I've decided to give you a modern fable. It's called "The Gift of the Admin." Once, in a company not unlike yours, There was an Admin named Riley— The kind of Admin who could fix a broken report Before the requestor even finished explaining it. Now, every season brought its own challenges. Deadlines, new features, odd little mysteries That crept into the org like snowflakes— Unique, intricate, and occasionally inconvenient. But this season felt different. People were tired. Teams were stretched. And the org itself seemed to sigh Under the weight of so many expectations. So Riley decided to give a gift. Not a wrapped one, Not a shiny one, But a gift only an Admin could give: Clarity. Riley began quietly, almost invisibly— Cleaning up old fields no one used, Fixing automation that everyone complained about But no one had time to understand. Organizing objects like a librarian Restoring order to a well-loved shelf. They documented things no one remembered building. They created a dashboard that told the truth In a way executives could finally understand. They met with a team that felt unheard And turned their ideas into something real. Little by little, the org brightened. People moved with more confidence. Decisions came easier. Work flowed instead of stumbled. And one morning, someone said, "I don't know what changed, But everything just feels clearer." Riley just smiled. The best Admin work often goes unseen— But never unfelt. Because the gift of the Admin Isn't the features they build Or the bugs they squash Or the fires they quietly put out. The gift of the Admin Is alignment. The gift of the Admin Is understanding. The gift of the Admin Is a better tomorrow, Built one thoughtful choice at a time. And that's a gift Every org needs— No matter the season. Happy holidays, Salesforce Admins.

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Joshua Birk, Senior Director of Admin Evangelism at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how Agentforce Vibes can help admins debug code, create documentation, and so much more. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Joshua Birk. What is vibe coding? Josh has been getting a vibe lately, and it's not just him. More and more programmers have been adapting their workflows to incorporate AI and give themselves a helping hand. Vibe coding is here to stay, and it's coming to Salesforce with the release of Agentforce Vibes. Pair programming, also known as someone looking over your shoulder while you code, is a classic way to get unstuck. Whether you're missing a semicolon or calling the wrong function, having another set of eyes on your code can make all the difference. Vibe coding is the same concept, but you're using AI for that external perspective. With an AI assistant, admins can quickly troubleshoot a wall of code to spot errors or comb through pages of documentation for a key piece of information. And now, that functionality has been built into Salesforce development environments with Agentforce Vibes. How to get started with Agentforce Vibes If you're already a user of VS Code or Code Builder, you already have access to Agentforce Vibes. If you're running a trial org or developer edition, you may need to download and install the extension. Like any AI tool, the things you can do with Agentforce Vibes are too many to list. Josh gives the example of product requirements documentation. PRDs are the encyclopedia of everything going on with a project: requirements, challenges, blockers, key metrics, etc. It's an essential document for any project, but it's difficult to create and dense to parse. Agentforce Vibes can help you with PRDs on both fronts. You can spin up a PRD for a project and get a running start, or go through an existing PRD for whatever information you need. In short, it helps you do more, faster. AI is a skillset amplifier "There's always a question of what skills are admins not going to need in the future of AI," Josh says. "I don't know if that's the right question, because I think it's all about your skills leveraging AI—not AI taking over your skill set." Agentforce Vibes isn't going to replace a development team, but it can give admins a starting point to collaborate more effectively with them. If you have coding skills, it can help you debug and document. If you've built a ton of flows and are worried some might be redundant, it can help you find those. AI tools like Vibes won't replace admin skills—they'll amplify them. Like a calculator in math class, Vibes helps you move faster but still requires foundational knowledge. The key is knowing what to ask, validating results, and using AI as a supportive peer, not a replacement. Make sure to listen to the full episode for more details about Agentforce Vibes from Josh, and don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Until next time! Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Get started: Agentforce Vibes True to the Core Deep Dive: What's New in Lightning Experience Performance and Agentforce Vibes Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Josh on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Love our podcasts? Subscribe today or review us on iTunes! Full show transcript Mike: This week on the Salesforce Admins podcast, we're joined by Josh Birk, Senior Director Admin Evangelism, and really just all around great explainer of complicated things. Coming off of Dreamforce, there's a lot of people talking about vibe coding, what it is, where it came from, and why it matters for Salesforce admins. So we're going to dive into that, along with Agentforce Vibes and how it can change the way that Salesforce admins approach requirements, automation, and even documentation. So you want to give this one a listen to and share it with a few Salesforce admins who maybe are curious about coding in the age of AI. So with that, let's get Josh on the podcast. So Josh, welcome back to the podcast. Josh Birk: Thanks, Mike. Good to be here. Mike: We have so much to talk about. We're coming off of Dreamforce this year. I feel like we're heading into one of the busiest Decembers as a Salesforce admin I can remember, because we're still releasing, upgrading products in this age of AI. But one thing that left Dreamforce that I wanted to talk to you about is I heard a lot about vibe coding. Josh Birk: Yeah. Mike: And so I want to start there, before we talk about the Salesforce product, and just kind of level set. Because you're a developer, you've built code. Josh Birk: I have. I have. Mike: I haven't. I've shown you how to add a icon to an application. Josh Birk: Famously so, yes. Mike: That was my one wi

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to David Simpson, Salesforce Administrator at the 1916 Company. Join us as we chat about how he got into the ecosystem and what skills transfer well into a Salesforce Admin career. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with David Simpson. Transitioning into a Salesforce Admin career You might recognize David from his Dreamforce presentation about resolving Flow errors, or our episode about it on the podcast. However, one thing that came up was his career pivot from finance to being a Salesforce Admin, and I wanted to bring him back to talk more about it. To make a long story short, David started out as an accountant before eventually becoming a financial systems analyst. That job involves a lot of reporting and, somewhere along the way, he realized that running the reports was the most exciting part of the job for him. David decided to make a career change and focus on Salesforce. But that meant he needed to go on the hunt and figure out how to land his first full-time Salesforce role. What to look for in job descriptions David's comfort with data, spreadsheets, and reconciliation gave him a strong analytical foundation for making the shift. These skills made it easier to understand how reporting, data cleanliness, and business processes translated to what admins build on the platform. However, having the right skills is only part of the story—he still needed to find the right jobs to apply to. "It's not uncommon now for admins to have developer skills or maybe dip their toe into the architect side of things," David says, "but I focused mainly on positions that were only looking for admin-related work." In general, David's advice is to narrow things down for yourself. Look for organizations that are already committed to Salesforce, and job postings that are looking for the admin skillset instead of somebody who can do it all. A problem-solving mindset and curiosity fuel the admin journey For David, the skill that transfers best into a Salesforce Admin career is curiosity. When he was starting out, he was only interested in learning things that would be immediately applicable to the task at hand. Looking back on it now, David realizes he could have learned much faster if he had indulged his curiosity. "I should have given myself the benefit of the doubt," he says, "and taken a little bit more risk in learning new things." Make sure to listen to the full episode for more from David about how he transferred his skills into a Salesforce Admin career. And make sure you're subscribed to the show to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: Navigating Flow Errors as a New Salesforce Admin Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, what if spreadsheet skills from your last job could be the secret to launching your Salesforce admin career? In this episode, we welcome back David Simpson, who shares his story from accounting to automation and how his finance background paved the way to becoming a certified Salesforce admin. We dive into the skills that transferred surprisingly well, the learning curves that came with the role, and the mindset shift that helps him grow. So whether you're thinking about making a career move or just mentoring somebody who is, this conversation's packed with insights. So with that, let's get David on the podcast. David Simpson: Thank you for having me back. Mike Gerholdt: It wasn't that long ago that we were talking, it was pre-Dreamforce about 45 days ago or so. I had you on the podcast to talk about the presentation you're giving at Dreamforce, and we've since wrapped up Dreamforce now and people are at home. Well, some people. I think some people stayed and probably went to Napa Valley and did wine tastings, which I wouldn't blame you. There's a lot of great vineyards and stuff out there. But one thing you brought up that I wanted to follow up on was your career trajectory, and we haven't talked about careers a whole lot, but let's just rewind a little bit and give one of those the last time on the Salesforce Admin podcast, because I've watched a lot of streaming things. Let's fill people in on what you do and where your career started and how you became a Salesforce admin. David Simpson: Sure. Previously on Salesforce Admins. Mike Gerholdt: Exactly. David Simpson: So, many years ago, I went to college for accounting, and my first job out of college was a staff accountant at a software company. After a few years of working in spreadsheets and doing the monotonous day-to-day that comes with being a staff accountant, I made a pivot to be a financial analyst, more specifically a financial systems analys

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Kate Lessard, Lead Admin Evangelist at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how the Admin Adoption Framework can help you build confidence with Agentforce and her new video series, "Kate Clicks Through It". You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Kate Lessard. Tackling AI adoption overwhelm Admins are feeling the pressure to "get AI-ready," but the pace (and the jargon) can be intimidating. The key is starting with small, actionable steps that build momentum and confidence. Remember, it's OK not to know everything on day one. Luckily, Kate and the Evangelist team have been working on something to give you a helping hand. It's called the Admin Adoption Framework, and it gives you a structured path to build confidence with Agentforce in five simple steps: Explore what's possible Get curious Try it out Make it work Use it often By working through this list, Salesforce Admins can pinpoint their current phase, set goals, and identify the next best step—whether that's learning about AI use cases or diving into hands-on experimentation with Agentforce. Keeping pace with new features While your organization is probably keen to get started with Agentforce, the great thing about the Admin Adoption Framework is that it's a process that works for just about any implementation. For example, we know that good data is the backbone of effective AI solutions, so we can go through the same five steps with Data Cloud. Tech changes fast, but how you learn new things and build confidence with them doesn't. Developed through extensive research and feedback from admins, Salesforce MVPs, and folks on the product team, the Admin Adoption Framework is a template for continuing success. Hands-on learning with "Kate Clicks Through It" Hands-on learning is the best way to build confidence with new features, and Kate's been working on a new video series to help you get started. "I personally am someone who learns best by doing," she says, "I need to get hands-on, I need to do something. In many cases, I need to do it over and over again." In "Kate Clicks Through It," she walks you step by step through Salesforce processes like how to build an Agentforce data library, or how to use Org Check as an alternative to Optimizer. Each 10-minute video has a demo that will let you click along with her and try things for yourself. Kate has a lot of great tips to share about how to build confidence with Agentforce, so be sure to listen to the full episode. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Admin Blog: Your 5-Step Guide to Successful Agentforce Adoption YouTube Series: Kate Clicks Through It Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Kate on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Love our podcasts? Subscribe today or review us on iTunes! Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: Welcome to the Salesforce Admin's podcast. This week, admin evangelist Kate Lessard joins us to dive into the Agentforce adoption journey. From building a foundation AI to launching the new Kate Clicks Through It YouTube series, Kate walks us through how admins can thoughtfully and confidently bring AI into their organizations. We also chat about how feedback shaped the adoption framework. So if you've been wondering where to start or where you are on your AI journey, this episode's for you. Let's get Kate on the podcast. So Kate, welcome back to the podcast. Kate Lessard: Thanks. It's been a while. Mike Gerholdt: Yeah. January. Was it when we did the kickoff? That was the last time. Kate Lessard: Maybe. Or maybe did we do a TDX, prep for TDX call maybe? Mike Gerholdt: We might've. Other podcasters would remember their episodes, but me, just crank them out. Kate Lessard: Yeah, you're a little busy. Mike Gerholdt: It's okay. So you've been busy as well. Let's talk about Agentforce stuff and YouTube stuff and everything you've been working on. Kate Lessard: Yeah, absolutely. It has definitely been a busy year. It's been flying by. And some really exciting stuff that we've been working on for admins this year. Mike Gerholdt: First up being Agentforce stuff, because Agentforce. I know there's not too much Agentforce out there. People say that, there's not. When we're recording this ChatGPT is coming out with a new model. This is our new norm. It's like when the iPhone drop, there's not enough iPhone information out in the world. There's always iPhone information out in the world. There's always going to be AI stuff for us to learn. Kate Lessard: Yeah, agreed. I think that that's the really cool thing about Agentforce and the job that we get to do is that we get to play with and learn the new things as they're coming out because it's so important for us to share w

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Prag Ravichandran Kamalaveni, Founder & CEO of Skilled Cohort and the Founder & Co-Chair of Salesforce Saturday Cohort Canada. Join us as we chat about his Dreamforce presentation on AI readiness and how to be a better storyteller. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Prag Ravichandran Kamalaveni. Why AI is moving technology from clicks to chats I caught up with Prag fresh off his Dreamforce presentation about AI readiness. The idea for his talk came from thinking about what people were saying years ago, when he started attending the conference, compared to now. If we're talking about Agentforce this year, what will we be talking about in five years? In ten years? "We are moving away from clicks and moving towards chats," Prag says. AI currently sits in the application layer, working as a tool on top of your org. But as these functionalities become more deeply embedded in everything we do, Prag predicts that an "agentic layer" will sit directly on top of your data. What this all means is that data cleanup and data quality need to be top priorities for your organization to get the most out of AI. How to find presentation topics As a 10-time Dreamforce speaker, Prag has a simple and effective approach for how he turns ideas into presentations. It starts with the topics—pick something you're excited to talk about. The best topics are in areas where you have some experience but want to learn more. "Curiosity is fundamental for success," Prag says. Write out a list of topics that you're curious about, and then look at the big picture of how they might fit together in a presentation. Prag also points out that you don't need to write a fully finished 20-minute script to submit for a conference. Technology moves so quickly that by the time you're actually giving your talk, half of the information will be out of date. Write a good abstract and focus on the core concepts. Finally, keep a sense of perspective and don't get discouraged by rejection. As an event organizer myself, I see plenty of great presentation ideas that just don't fit with the event as a whole. It's all about persistence, so keep at it. Forget the script—go for flexibility and rehearsal So you've submitted some great topics and booked that speaking gig—how do you prepare? As he's gained more experience as a speaker, Prag has stopped trying to write a detailed script. Instead of focusing on the exact words you have to say, think about what you want your audience to understand. Practice makes perfect, so make sure to take the time to rehearse your speech in front of friends, family, and anyone who will give you input. Prag has found ChatGPT to be effective for doing a few practice runs, once he prompted it to stop being so complimentary and give him direct feedback. Listen to the full episode for more insights from Prag about AI readiness and how to be a great presenter. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Dreamforce for Admins playlist on Salesforce+ Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: Essential Tips for Creating Effective Presentations Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Prag on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we're joined by Prag to talk all things AI readiness, from Dreamforce stages to real world slide decks, so if you've ever wondered how to prep for a major presentation in a fast moving AI world, or how tools like ChatGPT can play coach, creator and confidence booster, I promise you, you're in for a treat. Now, Prag shares what it takes to go from idea to impactful delivery, plus the pivotal role that data plays in getting AI ready. Now, whether you're planning your next big talk or just curious how AI fits into your workflow, this episode has something for you. So with that, let's get Prag on the podcast. So Prag, welcome to the podcast. Prag: Pleasure to be here, Mike, with you. Mike: Let's get started, for those people that didn't see your presentation at Dreamforce or haven't bumped into you in the community, let's do a little bit, tell me how you got started in the Salesforce community and what you presented at Dreamforce this year. Prag: Wow, okay. So you are backdating probably 15 years ago, that's when I started Salesforce. This was the pre-Salesforce classic version is when I started, and Salesforce evolved a lot, and I couldn't believe that it's already 15 years past, and I think this Dreamforce is my sixth or maybe seventh. Mike: Wow. Prag: But every Dreamforce for me is pretty amazing because of the energy and people around the globe who could able to come join us, exchange ideas, mostly the problems and the pain they're going

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Daniel Peter, Chief Technology Officer at Petaluma Creamery. Join us as we chat about how he manages cheese wheels with custom objects and how Salesforce and AI can level the playing field for SMBs. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Daniel Peter. Modernizing business processes at a historic creamery Daniel gave out some of the best swag at Dreamforce—free cheese samples. As a Salesforce MVP Hall of Fame member, he's held a wide range of roles on the platform, but none have been quite as delicious as his current gig as the Chief Technology Officer at Petaluma Creamery. You could say he's the big cheese for digital transformation. The creamery is a 115-year-old business capable of producing over 140,000 pounds of cheese per day. It's an old-school business, and that means he inherited several old-school business processes. With so many manual processes, Daniel had to move fast and focus on the biggest wins first. Digital transformation priorities for SMBs So how did Daniel take his business processes from aged Gouda to fresh mozzarella? He started with the basics: getting the cheddar through the door. In other words, simplifying the ordering process. Like a lot of SMBs, the creamery's system dated back to a time when you could just throw more people at a logistics problem. A sales or delivery person would talk through the order with the customer, fill out a paper form, and then do some unit conversions before they could enter the data into a database. It was time-intensive, labor-intensive, and introduced all kinds of opportunities for mistakes. Daniel quickly built an order system in Salesforce that saves time, does all of the conversions on the backend, and makes it easier for his users to find the product they're looking for. The creamery is also able to track all sorts of data about the cheese-making process, like where ingredients come from and how they were stored, which is crucial for getting a certified-organic label. Why Agentforce levels the playing field for SMBs A common misconception is that AI tools are reserved for huge corporations with the technical resources to implement them. However, as Daniel explains, affordable tools like Agentforce actually level the playing field for SMBs. Looking forward, he's aiming to implement several agents that will streamline the creamery's business processes: An internal agent to take orders, so a delivery driver can talk to a customer and dictate the order over the phone. A customer service agent that can use the context of a customer's order history to decide what remediation needs to be done and how to do it. A cheese expert agent, using the decades of unstructured data from the creamery's cheese lab to answer questions like optimal storage temperature, or what type of rennet was used to make a particular product. If all of this sounds exciting to you, be sure to check in with Daniel at TDX to see what he's built. And, you know, try some delicious dairy. Make sure to listen to the full episode for more from Daniel, and don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Petaluma Creamery Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Daniel on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: Hold onto your curds folks. Today's episode is un-brie-lievable. We're chatting with Daniel Peter, CTO at Petaluma Creamery, where they're proving that even in a world full of mozzarella sticks and spreadsheets, Salesforce can be the big cheese. Now today, Daniel's going to dish on how he's gone from QuickBooks and paper trails to a cheddar-rific automation and including some AI agents. So if you've ever wondered what it's like to manage wheels of cheese with custom objects, or if curd record type is a thing, then this is your jam. I mean, cheese, let's melt into it. Let's get Daniel on the podcast. So Daniel, welcome to the podcast. Daniel Peter: Hey, thanks for having me. Mike: I know it's been a while since we've had you on, it was Talking Community and Twitter back when it was called Twitter. Daniel Peter: Yeah, I did look up that podcast, it was 2017. Mike: Oh man, that was a thousand years ago. Daniel Peter: Yup. Mike: For those people that aren't familiar with who Daniel Peters is, can you give us a quick update and kind of let everyone know what you do and how you got started in the ecosystem? Daniel Peter: Yeah. I got started way back in 2009 as a developer, and I've done a lot of things. I've worked for Salesforce customers, ISV Partners, did a stint at Robots and Pencils where I ran a SI Salesforce practice, done a lot of consulting work on the development side for ISV, and actually even for Salesforce. But my most recent venture here, I'm

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Laura Pelkey, Director of Customer Security Communications & Engagement, and Kylie McKlveen, Director of Product Marketing at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about a simple framework for thinking about security in Salesforce and what you can do to protect your org. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Laura Pelkey and Kylie McKlveen. The evolving security landscape in the age of AI With Agentforce and the rise of AI, protecting your data is more important than ever before. Remember, the bad guys have access to these tools too, and that means phishing and deep fake attacks are becoming more sophisticated by the day. That's why I wanted to bring Laura and Kylie on the pod to talk about security. They're here to help explain how Salesforce is already hard at work to help you protect your data, and what simple steps you can take to beef up security for your org. A simple Salesforce security framework Laura and Kylie have a simple framework for the security available to you on Salesforce. There are three layers to think about: Invisibles: The things that Salesforce already does to watch your back. This includes a global, 24/7 threat hunting team that is constantly scanning the network for anomalous events. Configurables: These are actions you as a Salesforce Admin can take to make your org more secure. Taking the time to configure your security settings and think through your permission sets can go a long way towards protecting your org. Enhanceables: If you work in a heavily regulated industry or have sensitive data, you may need to take extra steps to enhance your security. Tools like Salesforce Shield and Security Center can give you an extra layer of protection. Most admins will want to focus on the configurables, and the security team has put together a handy video series to walk you through your next steps. The importance of data continuity One important piece of the security puzzle is continuity. Protecting against attacks is important, but you also need to account for human error—sometimes users make mistakes. If someone's delete key gets stuck, tools like Backup & Restore and Field Audit Trail can help you save the day. If you want to learn more, be sure to check out the Dreamforce Security Keynote on Salesforce+. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Security Keynote: Protecting the Agentic Enterprise The 360 Blog: Laura on security YouTube series: Trusted Enterprise Security: Built on Salesforce Meet the Long-Lost Fourth Member of Snap, Crackle and Pop Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Laura on LinkedIn Kylie on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we're diving into some security framework that you've either seen online or at Dreamforce, specifically wrapping your head around invisibles, configurables, and enhanceables. So this week I am joined by longtime podcaster and security champion Laura Pelkey and new voice and new to the Salesforce Trusted Services Team, Kylie McKlveen. They are both here to help us unpack how we can think about the security layers baked into the platform, the settings they control, and the tools available for us to go even further. Plus we also jump into a little bit about what AI means for keeping your org secure. This is a fun podcast, and we also bring in a little bit of pop culture. I won't ruin it, but Sylvester Stallone does make an appearance in this episode. So with that, let's get Laura and Kylie on the podcast. So Kylie and Laura, welcome to the podcast. Laura Pelkey: Hey, Mike. Kylie McKlveen: Hey, thanks for having us. Mike: I know. This is going to be fun, even though... Well Laura's a long time podcaster, so she makes security fun, but Kylie's a new voice. So Laura, let's start with you. Refresh everybody, what you've been up to at Salesforce since we've last chatted. Laura Pelkey: Yeah, I know it's been a little while. I'm very happy to be back on the pod. Thank you for having me. So I'm actually coming up on my nine-year anniversary at Salesforce, which is crazy. Can't believe it's been that long. And lately I've been at Dreamforce speaking, writing a lot of blogs about security, and still just trying to get the word out there to our customers about how to be secure with their Salesforce data. Mike: Yep, absolutely. And Kylie, you're a new voice to the podcast, so welcome. Tell us a little bit about how you got started at Salesforce and what you do. Kylie McKlveen: Thanks, yeah, what do they say, long time listener, first time caller? So yeah, I work on our product marketing team for our trusted services products. I've actually just joined this team within t

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Bradley Condon, Technology and Systems Specialist at Waste Solution Services. Join us as we chat about his Dreamforce presentation and the custom apps Bradley built to help him land his next role. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Bradley Condon. From customer service rep to the Dreamforce stage This year was the first Dreamforce Bradley was able to attend, and also his first time giving a presentation—I'd say he's off to a great start. Bradley started his career as a Service Cloud user who got curious about the platform. He clicked on the Help Section, ended up on Trailhead, "and by the end of the day, I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life," he says. However, when he started looking for jobs, he ran into a common problem. How can you show that you have hands-on experience without landing that crucial first Salesforce role? Using personal projects to stand out Bradley decided that the best approach was to build custom apps in Salesforce and reference them on his resume. But what to build? As he explains, "I realized that in order for me to make time for it, I needed to build something I was passionate about that I wanted to use." One thing he was definitely focused on was passing his Admin Certification exam. So he made an app to help him study by texting him a practice question every day. He also wanted to attend more Salesforce events, which led to another app that helped match Trailblazers with each other to save on accommodations. Bradley listed all of his personal projects on his resume and also shared them on Experience Cloud so interviewers could see his solutions in action. How to pick a side project In the course of building (and debugging) these projects, Bradley was able to learn by experience. By the time he was finished, he was able to sit for the Platform App Builder Certification without needing to study and pass it with flying colors. As for what to work on, Bradley encourages you to work with what you know. Can you think of an app that would help you in your day-to-day? Or, if you're interviewing in a specific industry, something that would solve a common problem they might face? We want to hear about your side projects, so tell us about them on our socials. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us in your feed every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Automate This!: Boost Your Salesforce Certification Study Routine with Flows & Email-to-Text Gateways | Automate This! Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Bradley on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: Welcome to Salesforce Admins Podcast. This week I'm chatting with Bradley Condon, a first-time Dreamforce presenter who has a powerful story about self-starting service cloud and personal projects that pack a punch. Now, Bradley shared this at Dreamforce about how building custom apps on the side helped him land a role and prep for certifications, and it was even something really cool he could do for a friend in a tough time. Now, Bradley's journey starts from a call center agent, all the way to creating experience cloud solutions that he could share with future employers when he was interviewing. So if you're curious about why you should do Salesforce projects on the side and do personal projects, Bradley's story is for you. So let's get Bradley on the podcast. So Bradley, welcome to the podcast. Bradley Condon: Hi. Thank you so much for having me. Mike: Yeah, well, it's exciting, you are a first-time presenter, as I learned before we pressed record, at Dreamforce, and you're going to talk about building personal projects, which I've done quite a few on the side, and I think that's really cool. I can't wait to see your presentation, but let's learn a little bit about you. Tell me how you got started in the Salesforce ecosystem and what you do. Bradley Condon: Yeah, of course. So I got started in the ecosystem as actually a call center agent using Service Cloud, working for a furniture company, just handling warranty issues and whatnot. And I got really interested in it and wanted to learn more about it, so I clicked on the Help section and ended up on Trailhead, and by the end of the day I was like, "You know what? I know what I want to do with the rest of my life," and started to make the transition to learn all I could about Salesforce and eventually, got my certification, landed a role, and then after that role, I had some time in between that I was trying to find the next one, and that's when I started building personal projects to really fill in that gap that I had to get my next role. Mike: Wow, okay. I think you might be the first person that started off in Service Cloud. Bradley Condon: Yeah, really? Mike:

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to David Simpson, Salesforce Administrator at the 1916 Company. Join us as we chat about how he landed his first Salesforce Admin role and what advice he has for folks who are new to the ecosystem. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with David Simpson. A career pivot from finance to Salesforce If you didn't catch David's presentation about resolving Flow errors at Dreamforce, be sure to check out our earlier episode with him. Another thing that came up was his career pivot, and it was so interesting that I had to bring him back to talk about it. David started out as an accountant before eventually becoming a financial systems analyst. He had to run a lot of reports and quickly discovered that the thing he was actually interested in was the Salesforce platform. Soon enough, David became the part-time admin for his organization, but he quickly realized that if he wanted to just focus on Salesforce, he would need to find a new job. What to look for in a job description While David bulked up his credentials, he started looking for full-time Salesforce Admin roles to apply to. One piece of advice he has is to take a closer look at the job description and be clear about what you want. "It's not uncommon now for admins to have developer skills or maybe dip their toe into the architect side of things," he says, "but I focused mainly on positions that were only looking for admin-related work." David also was really specific about finding an organization that was already committed to Salesforce. He looked for green flags like job postings with specifics on certifications or Superbadges. Finally, it was important to him to join a Salesforce team as opposed to try to cut his teeth as a solo admin. Find opportunities to grow as an admin David's advice for people new to the ecosystem is to get curious. Back when he was a part-time admin, he was laser-focused on opportunities because that was what his organization was asking him to do. "I should have given myself the benefit of the doubt," he says, "and taken a little bit more risk in learning new things." Reflecting now, he sees where he could have taken the initiative to try automations or enhance integrations and become a better admin in the process. There are a lot more great tips from David about his pivot into a Salesforce Admin career, so be sure to listen to the full episode. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: Navigating Flow Errors as a New Salesforce Admin Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social David on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: Welcome to Salesforce Admins podcast. This week I'm joined by David Simpson, who you might remember from our pre-Dreamforce chat not that long ago. It was a little over a month ago, but this time we're diving into something that really hits close to home for a lot of Salesforce admins, and that is career change. The number one question I get in my inbox is how do I find a different career? What does it look like to interview as a first time Salesforce admin and questions like that? I'm telling you, we're going to dive into all of that with David because he's going to share how he went from spreadsheets as a staff accountant to automations as a Salesforce admin and what his transition looked like. We get into certifications. We talk about job hunting. We talk about imposter syndrome, and I dig into what it looked like to be a brand new Salesforce admin on his first day at a new job. I think this might be the most comprehensive podcast interview about what it looks like to change careers that I've done since I've launched this show. If you're curious about how David did it, this is the episode for you. Give it a listen and let's get David on the podcast. So, David, welcome back to the podcast. David Simpson: Thank you for having me back. Mike: It wasn't that long ago that we were talking, it was pre-Dreamforce about 45 days ago or so. I had you on the podcast to talk about the presentation you're giving at Dreamforce, and we've since wrapped up Dreamforce now and people are at home. Well, some people. I think some people stayed and probably went to Napa Valley and did wine tastings, which I wouldn't blame you. There's a lot of great vineyards and stuff out there. But one thing you brought up that I wanted to follow up on was your career trajectory, and we haven't talked about careers a whole lot, but let's just rewind a little bit and give one of those the last time on the Salesforce Admin podcast, because I've watched a lot of streaming things. Let's fill people in on what you do and where your career started and how you became a Salesforce ad

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Naveen Gabrani, Founder and CEO of Astrea IT Services. Join us as we chat about why Salesforce Foundations is a game-changer for admins. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Naveen Gabrani. Why Salesforce Foundations is a big deal This year at Dreamforce, Naveen is giving a presentation about something that Enterprise users already have access to that's criminally underrated. "Salesforce Foundations is one of those lesser-known features," he says, "but it is extremely important." Announced last year, Salesforce Foundations brings the most useful basic features from Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Commerce Cloud, Data Cloud, and Agentforce to your org. It has a modern UI that consolidates the most important features you use every day into an updated homepage. And the best part? It's free—you simply have to enable it in Setup. Take Agentforce for a test drive Naveen gives some examples to highlight how important Salesforce Foundations truly is. If you have Sales Cloud, you can borrow Service Cloud features like Knowledge and macros to give your customers some technical support. Or you could build a customer journey with Marketing Cloud's flow-based interface that feeds into a Commerce Cloud storefront. With so many businesses pushing to integrate AI features, Salesforce Foundations gives you the opportunity to try before you buy. You can configure Agentforce and Data Cloud to get everything integrated with your org and then make the decision to expand functionality. It's much easier to convince stakeholders when you have something concrete to show them. Tips from a Dreamforce veteran Naveen is a Dreamforce veteran, so I wanted to know what keeps bringing him back, year after year. "The biggest thing for me is to make sure that I get time to meet my customers, meet my friends in the ecosystem, meet my partners," he says. "Those networking aspects of the conference have helped us a lot as a company in the long term." Each year, Naveen makes a point of writing a blog post to summarize his takeaways on what's happening with the platform. Make sure to check it out, and make sure to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: How Can Salesforce Admins Leverage Foundations to Prepare for Agentforce? Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Naveen on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: This week on the Salesforce Admins podcast, we're joined by Naveen Gabrani, founder of Astrea IT Services and longtime Salesforce ecosystem veteran. Now Naveen sat down with us just a little bit before Dreamforce to share why Salesforce Foundations is a game changer for admins; offering multi-cloud access, a sleek, modern UI, and best of all, it's free with Enterprise or higher licenses. Now if you've been curious about how to do more with what you already have, this episode's for you. Now stay tuned and don't miss Naveen's tips, use cases and insights from 30 years in tech and what he does after Dreamforce. So with that, let's get Naveen on the podcast. So Naveen, welcome to the podcast. Naveen Gabrani: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. Mike: Yeah. Well, you are a string of presenters that we've had on the podcast over the last month, and today, when this episode comes out, it's the Thursday of Dreamforce. So I bet a lot of people probably listening to this on the plane flying home. But let's get started with a little bit about yourself, kind of how you got in Salesforce, how you got in the ecosystem, and then I want to talk to you more about what you're presenting at Dreamforce. Naveen Gabrani: Great. So my name is Naveen Gabrani. I ran a Salesforce partner company called Astrea IT Services. We are based in a place called Noida in India. So I have been running this company Astrea for about 15 years, so it's been a long time. It's been a fun journey. Before this, I used to work as a program manager with a large MNC, and so my total experience is more than 30 years. Mike: Wow, that's a long time. I was going to say your company is a teenager. Naveen Gabrani: Yeah. Mike: That's been around for a while. Now at Dreamforce this year, which is today. Whee. Or it could have been a few days ago, depending on when you're listening to this. You talked about Salesforce Foundation, get more from your org with Salesforce Foundations. Why was it so important for you to have admins understand how to get more from their org with Salesforce Foundations? Naveen Gabrani: So Salesforce Foundations is one of the features that is less known, but it is extremely important feature. This was announced in last year 2024 Dreamforce, and it's about one year now, but still it is n

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Sharon Klardie, Senior Director of AppExchange Labs & Innovation at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how Labs empowers Salesforce employees to build and share solutions on the AppExchange, and what that means for admins navigating the new world of AI. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Sharon Klardie. What is Salesforce Labs? Next year, Salesforce Labs will celebrate its twentieth birthday. If you haven't checked it out, it's an innovation program for Salesforce employees to create solutions, package them, and share them with customers like you. That's why I was so excited to sit down with Sharon Klardie. She's the Senior Director of AppExchange Labs & Innovation, and as she puts it, her team's job is to "showcase the art of the possible." If you've ever stared at a new feature and felt some blank canvas anxiety when it comes to how to actually implement it in your org, browsing through Salesforce Labs solutions could be a great starting point. Even if you don't end up using something, you can see what's possible and even look at how they did it on GitHub. The key to AI implementation If you're like most of the admins I talk to, you're probably looking for new ways to use Agentforce. As Sharon puts it, "How do you have meaningful and mindful implementations of AI at your organization?" You can get a lot of ideas looking through Labs apps that incorporate Agentforce. However, as Sharon points out, that's only one piece of the puzzle. You need to get your data in a good place and build a solid foundation for scalable AI, and there are several Salesforce Labs solutions that can help you get started. Best practices for AppExchange Finally, we talk through some AppExchange best practices that will help you get the most out of any Labs solutions you want to try out. First and foremost, never install an app you haven't used directly into production. Spin up a dev org or sandbox so you can test without breaking anything. But more importantly, make sure you have a solid rollout and change management plan for any new functionality you're adding to your org. You need to tell users what's new, teach them how to use it, and be ready to handle any edge cases that will inevitably pop up. Be sure to catch Sharon's presentations at Dreamforce, and say hi if you see her! And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Trailhead Module: Salesforce Labs Basics Trailhead Module: AppExchange Basics AppExchange: Trending on Salesforce Labs AppExchange: Salesforce Labs App Guide YouTube channel: AppExchangeTV GitHub: Salesforce Labs Help Article: How To Get Support for Salesforce Labs Created Applications Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Sharon on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: This week on the Salesforce Admin Podcast, I sit down with Sharon Klardie, who's the senior director of Salesforce Labs, to talk about, well, what else? Free innovation. Sharon shares how labs empower Salesforce employees to build and share solutions on the AppExchange and what that means for Salesforce admins navigating the new world of AI and why, this is important, you should never install a new app straight into production. Now, whether you're Dreamforce-bound or catching up after Dreamforce, this one's packed with a lot of great tips from Sharon and a lot of AI strategy gold. So tune in, take notes, and let's get Sharon on the podcast. So, Sharon, welcome to the podcast. Sharon Klardie: Thank you for having me, Mike. Mike: I find it hard to believe, but you are one of the few people in the world that hasn't been on the Salesforce Admin podcast despite you and me being in the ecosystem for like a thousand years. Sharon Klardie: I know. I was thinking about this morning and I was like, "I can't believe I haven't been on here yet." So I'm super excited to share with the listeners here today. Mike: Well, let's talk about that. So how did you get started in Salesforce and in the ecosystem, and what do you do at Salesforce? Sharon Klardie: Oh, I love a Salesforce origin story. So picture, it's 2010, and I'm working at a software company that gets bought by an equity partner, and that equity partner implements Salesforce at every company they buy. And that was my first introduction of Salesforce back when it was just Sales and Service Cloud. And I absolutely felt in love with the platform. I felt empowered. There was community behind it. And ever since then, so from 2010 till today, I've been all Salesforce all the time. Mike: Wow. And you joined Salesforce. What part of Salesforce did you join? Sharon Klardie: So when I joined Salesforce in 2018, I joined leading the Salesforce Labs program. Tha

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Abhishek Saxena, Technical Architect at Copado. Join us as we chat about how he learned Data Cloud and why understanding context is the key to making Agentforce shine. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Abhishek Saxena. Overcoming the complexity of Data Cloud As a developer and architect, Abhishek isn't lacking for technical knowledge about the Salesforce platform. But even he found it hard to get his head around what Data Cloud was and what it could do. Abhishek attended community events, scoured LinkedIn posts, studied videos, and even read a book about Data Cloud. But there were so many new terms being thrown around, and he still couldn't explain the difference between a data lake object, a data model object, and a data source object. "Even though there was a lot of buzz around Data Cloud and how it is such an amazing, innovative solution," Abhishek says, "I was not able to grasp what it does in an easy fashion." Luckily, he had an ah-ha moment that helped him see the big picture, and so he's giving a presentation at Dreamforce to share what he's learned. What Data Cloud actually does Abhishek's talk, "A Beginner's Guide to Data Cloud," will get you up to speed in 20 minutes or less. As he explains, the main thing to understand is that Data Cloud is about data unification. If you have your data in a bunch of different places, you used to have to dedicate significant developer time to maintaining APIs that allowed Salesforce to share information with your other platforms. With Data Cloud, you have everything on one record, with Salesforce and Slack as the front door. You have a complete 360 view of your customer, regardless of where the information is. Why Data Cloud is crucial for Agentforce Getting a complete picture of your customers is doubly important when it comes to Agentforce. AI agents are extremely context-dependent: they do a much better job when you "ground" them with extra parameters. As Abhishek says, "If you give agents good data, your responses are going to be much more personalized and better." Data Cloud allows you to give your AI agents a much more specific picture of your customers, opening the door for better and more effective automations. If you're coming to Dreamforce, make sure to come to Abhishek's presentation so you can be a Data Cloud pro. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Blog: From Pillars to Lakes: Using Data Cloud As Your Source of Truth Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Abhishek on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: So have you ever tried to figure out what a data lake is and then ended up wondering where the lifeguard's at? Ditto. Today on the Salesforce Admins podcast, we're talking with Abhishek Saxena, a Salesforce consultant with a developer's mindset and a teacher's heart. Abhishek's going to take us through his journey of learning Data Cloud and how it went from something buzzworthy to something he could really explain to a five-year-old. So if you've ever felt overwhelmed by new tech or just really weren't sure where to begin this episode's for you. Plus Abhishek gives us a sneak peek at his Dreamforce session and why understanding context is key in making AI tools like Agentforce shine. So with that, let's get Abhishek on the podcast. So Abhishek, welcome to the podcast. Abhishek: Thank you so much for having me, Mike. Mike: I'm excited to talk about this because of all the things going on at Salesforce, we've got a big event coming up in just a few weeks from when this is going to air, and you're doing a presentation there, but before we talk about that, let's find out a little bit about you. How did you get started doing stuff in the Salesforce ecosystem and want to present at Dreamforce? Abhishek: Certainly. So I have been working in the Salesforce ecosystem for about 10 years now, it'll be 10 years later in November. I started off immediately after my college where I was studying computer science engineering. I always had an affinity to computers and how they work, so it was an easy choice to what to study. But getting into Salesforce, that was a happy coincidence. My hometown, where I'm originally from, it's called Jaipur, it's in India, and that's where I did my engineering from as well, Jaipur is traditionally not touted as a tech hub, but for some divine reasons there were several Salesforce consultancies that were trying to make it big in that area when I was just graduating, I got an offer to work for one of them as a Salesforce consultant after a series of intense grueling interviews. But yeah, that's how I got started, and I have never looked back since then. Mike:

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Denise Carbone, Director of Delivery at ImagineCRM. Join us as we chat about her journey from business analyst to external consultant admin and why AI makes BA skills even more valuable. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Denise Carbone. Why business analyst skills are so important for AI Denise was working as a business analyst when she was first handed the keys to a Salesforce org. She remembers getting a plaque in the mail for being one of the first 500 people to become Salesforce certified. Obviously we've come a long way since then, but the skills needed to understand a business problem and map out the requirements for a solution haven't changed. As Denise explains, you have to be "process first, technology second." I sat down with her for this episode to find out how these BA skills are even more important with Agentforce. The power of asking why In order to really do your job well, an admin needs to be more than just an order taker. But if you're spending your time running through a list of requests without having conversations with users and really understanding the business process, well, that's a tough row to hoe. Instead, you need to ask why. That's where your business analyst skills come into play. You need to have a full understanding of how things currently work, where they could be improved, and who cares about it the most. Admins in the age of AI Another key business analyst skill is change management. You may have built the coolest solution in the world, but how do you get folks to actually use it? As Denise explains, if you want your solution to be adopted, you need to make it adaptive. As you're building, you need to keep going back to your users for input. If they feel like their feedback is a part of the process, they'll have ownership over the results. While Agentforce has greatly expanded what the platform can do, it's still just technology you're using to help solve a business problem. As long as you understand the why behind a request, you can build solutions that transform your organization. Be sure to listen to the full episode for more from Denise on business analyst best practices and the importance of establishing AI governance policies. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Blog: Why Every Admin Should Adopt a Consulting Mindset Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Denise on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: This week on the Salesforce Admins podcast, I'm joined by Denise Carbone, longtime admin, Salesforce MVP, and all-around champion of business analysis. We unpack her journey from BA to external admin through the power of asking why, and why AI makes those foundational skills more valuable than ever. So, whether you're like me and you've just figured out dependent picklists, or you're leading delivery teams, I promise Denise's insight on governance, process and career growth is a must-listen. So with that, let's get Denise on the podcast. So Denise, welcome to the podcast. Denise Carbone: Awesome. Thanks, Mike. I'm really happy to be here. Mike: I know, I've been to a whole bunch of Chicago user groups, I can't believe I haven't had you on the podcast. So, I've tipped the scale a little bit in your favor, but tell us how you got into the ecosystem and what you do in Chicago. Denise Carbone: Yeah. No, thank you. Thank you. Yes, longtime listener of the podcast so happy to be here. So, I actually started in the ecosystem in 2004. I was a BA turned external admin. I was working for a technology company in Chicago, and I was bestowed the ownership of our Salesforce platform. I was a BA operations kind of girl. I've done work in CRM systems like Goldmine and Act!, so really old system. So, when Salesforce was presented to me I wasn't totally intimidated. I knew it was a CRM platform, I just didn't know much about it. I will be honest, I did not fall immediately in love with it. Later on I found out why. It was not because of the platform or the technology, it was because of lack of governance and processes. So, when I was doing reporting and operational metrics and things weren't being presented, as the CEO was saying, as they wanted to see them, it turned out just a lack of the governance and the processes is what really caused those issues. So, I put my BA hat back on and went back to the team, and explained some of these points we had to clean up and just do better with some guidance, and some structure and rigor around using the tool in the platform me. And that was in 2004, so in 2006 I attended my first Chicago user group meeting. Completely intimidated. I had major imposter syndrome because I r

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Nicole Pomponio, Director of Delivery Management and Operations at SaltClick. Join us as we chat about how admins can unlock the full potential of Slack in Salesforce. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Nicole Pomponio. Why Slack is changing what it means to be an admin If you're planning on coming to Dreamforce this year (or catching it at home), you're probably going to hear a lot about new ways of combining Agentforce and Slack. That's why I'm excited I got a chance to sit down with Nicole for this episode and have a conversation about her Dreamforce presentation. Nicole is the Director of Delivery Management and Operations at SaltClick, a consultancy for Salesforce and Slack, so she's eager to find new ways to get the most out of both platforms. The ever-deepening integration between Salesforce and Slack means there are all sorts of new ways to connect users with data. As Nicole explains, all this means that the entire idea of what an admin can do is becoming more and more expansive. Getting organizational buy-in for Slack If your organization isn't using Slack, how do you get the buy-in you need to overcome inertia? And if you are using Slack, how do you get the most out of it? Nicole is an admin, but she's also a decision-maker at SaltClick, and when she puts on her leadership hat, she wants to hear about business problems and possible solutions. So the key to getting buy-in is to reposition Slack from something that sends messages to something that can solve real business problems. "I think the magic of Slack is that when you're using it and when you're using it right, it's easily adopted," Nicole says, "you don't have to sell it because when you use it, you showcase it." For example, identify how many meetings can be eliminated with a dedicated channel on Slack, or show how much you can simplify your team's workflow with the Jira integration. Tips, tricks, and best practices for Slack As Nicole explains, it's helpful to establish some rules of the road for how your organization will use Slack. Here are a few tips to get started: Have consistent naming conventions for channels. SaltClick uses prefixes to keep things organized: #ext for external channels, #int for internal channels, and #salt for fun stuff like #salt-babies. Let your users know how to organize things for themselves, especially how to leave or mute a channel that they don't need to use every day. Make a channel for dedicated Slack support, so you can quickly help folks who get stuck. Establish guidelines for what Slack etiquette means at your organization and any emojis you're using. Make space for fun, but mostly on a different channel from work. Make sure to check out Nicole's Dreamforce presentation, in-person or online. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: What Can Salesforce Admins Do With Slack and Agents? Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: What Can Salesforce Admins Do with Slack Integrations? Salesforce Admins Blog: Slack and Salesforce: The Power of No-Code Automation Salesforce Admins Blog: Getting Started With Slack and Agentforce Integration Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Nicole on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: Slack-first doesn't have to mean Slack-only. And today's guest, Nicole Pomponio, tells us why. Nicole is the delivery and operations manager at SaltClick, and she's going to tell us, Salesforce admins, how we can unlock the full potential of Slack and Salesforce. In addition, Nicole shares her journey from accidental admin to leadership, and she gives us some insight into building intentional channel structure, integrating external platforms, like Jira, and reshaping the admin role in this new very connected era. So whether you're Slack-curious or already swimming in salty channels, you're going to walk away with some ideas you can use. And with that, let's get Nicole on the podcast. So Nicole, welcome to the podcast. Nicole Pomponio: Thank you so much for having me, Mike. Super excited to be here. Mike: I'm excited for everything that's coming up for Dreamforce. Last week we got done talking about navigating flow errors as an administrator, and the irony is I had to do a workshop and navigate my own flow error. So it's fortuitous the way things happen sometimes when you report a podcast. Nicole Pomponio: It was meant to be. It was meant to be. Mike: But Slack is a thing, and Slack's been a thing for a while, and you're going to present about Salesforce channels inside Slack. Before we talk about that, let's learn a little bit about you, Nicole. Tell us what you do in your everyday life and how you got into th

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to David Simpson, Salesforce Admin at the 1916 Company. Join us as we chat about his process for troubleshooting Flow errors and his unexpected path into the Salesforce ecosystem. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with David Simpson. Why can Flow errors be so intimidating? If you've ever received an emergency ticket from a user because they've encountered a Flow error, you know just how cryptic they can be. It's not always clear at first glance what's going on, or what your user can do to fix it. What's more, if you're hearing about an error from a user, that means it's made it to production. So now you need to start worrying about your testing and anything else that might pop up. And oh yeah, you need to fix the dang thing, too. That's why I was so excited to sit down this week with David Simpson. He's doing a Dreamforce presentation about how to better navigate Flow errors and how to prevent them from happening in the first place. Five steps to resolve a Flow error David breaks down the process of fixing a Flow error into five steps: Gather information about the Flow error. What's in the error notification? Is it specific to a particular user or record? Try to replicate the error in a sandbox environment. Find the fix. Test the fix in your sandbox, and test for any similar scenarios. Push your fix to production. David emphasizes the importance of communicating with stakeholders at every stage of your solve. You don't need to share every single detail, but you want to make sure your user knows that you've identified the error, how long it will take to fix it, and if there are any workarounds in the meantime. Reach out to the community We also discuss David's path from finance into the Salesforce ecosystem. He started out as a staff accountant, but when he was asked to take over some of the Salesforce administration duties, he realized he loved working with the platform far more than burying his head in spreadsheets. Finally, I ask David about his top tips for getting better at solving Flow errors. He points to the Trailblazer community and Salesforce help articles as two of his best resources. However, he also suggests getting hands-on in a sandbox by trying to build things that might break. It's a low-risk way to flex your problem-solving skills and will give you valuable experience for when a real error ends up in production. Make sure to listen to our full conversation for more from David about how to solve Flow errors. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Navigating Flow Errors Session at Dreamforce True to the Core Deep Dive: Flow Testing and Debugging Test or Troubleshoot Flows With the Flow Builder Debugger Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social David on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: Ever had a flow error throw your day off track? You're not alone. This week on the podcast, we welcome David Simpson, Salesforce Admin at the 1916 Company who's bringing his session from Dreamforce navigating flow errors as a new admin right into your old earbuds. David's going to walk us through his process for troubleshooting errors, he shares tips for smarter flow testing, and we even talk about his unexpected path from finance into the Salesforce ecosystem. Now, if you've ever stared down an Apex exception email and wondered what is this trying to tell me? I promise you this episode is for you. So with that, let's get David on the podcast. So David, welcome to the podcast. David Simpson: Thank you for having me. Mike: Let's get started with what you do in the Salesforce ecosystem and the topic you're going to talk about at Dreamforce this year. David Simpson: Sounds good. My name is David Simpson. I am a Salesforce Administrator at the 1916 Company. I have been an admin for a little over eight years now and a flownatic for over five years now, and my session is Navigating Flow Errors as a New Salesforce Administrator. Mike: Okay, do you have a robe? David Simpson: I had a cape from being an awesome admin back at Dreamforce 2018, but that has been lost in multiple moves. Mike: Okay, well I'll say this publicly. I have an extra one in my basement and I'm going to get it after this podcast. You getting the cape back. David Simpson: Sounds good to me. Mike: So there we got that solved and all 35 people who are listening are like, cool, David's getting a cape, what else can I learn? But I saw your session. So navigating flow errors as a new administrator. I think for me, I've built demos for Flow. I am nowhere near Jennifer Lee level, Jennifer Lee's admin evangelist on my team. I think she knows more about Flow than Flow knows about itself. But I've always, I'll

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Jim Ray, Director of Developer Relations and Advocacy at Slack. Join us as we chat about enhancements to Workflow Builder, the Slack features everyone should be using, and the future of AI and Slack. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Jim Ray. Usability upgrades to core Slack features Jim and his team have been improving the core Slack experience. "We've really been focusing on those little paper cuts, the smaller features that just never quite made it into the next release," he says. So essentially, Slack is a little better everywhere. One area they've focused on is Workflow Builder. In particular, they've added new branching functionality—allowing admins to create conditional paths like "if/then" logic. They've also been hard at work upgrading canvases and lists. With new data like AI-generated meeting notes, canvases provide a central place for all the relevant information. Jim also urges you to check out lists as a sort of "semi-database" for data you want handy in Slack. Slack's AI vision centralizes agent interactions For Jim, Slack is one of the best tools to interact with and fully take advantage of the AI agents you build with Agentforce. It's already the place your team communicates with each other, so why not be able to loop in AI teammates? "In the same way that Slack is the single place where every person in your organization is communicating, now it's the place where you're all working with those agents," Jim says. And so his team is looking at how Slack can bring together every AI agent your team uses, whether they're built in Agentforce or another third-party platform. Dreamforce 2025 will spotlight Salesforce-Slack integration I asked Jim for a sneak preview of what he has in store for Dreamforce 2025, and he did not disappoint. We've come a long way with tools like Salesforce channels and the ability to deploy an Agentforce agent directly to Slack. Now his team is working on ways to deepen the integration. So look for improvements to search and embedded Salesforce data in the coming year. There are so many more great insights into how you can get the most out of Slack in the Agentforce era, so be sure to listen to our full conversation with Jim. And be sure to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: What Can Salesforce Admins Do with Slack Integrations? Heroku Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Jim on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: Welcome to the Salesforce Admins Podcast. This week we're catching up with Jim Ray from Slack because it's very conversational. He's going to walk us through what's new in Slack from major releases that you may or may not have been paying attention to on Workflow Builder, Lists, and Canvases to, of course, all of the latest around AI and Agentforce. Plus, we're going to talk about what's coming at Dreamforce this year and how admins and developers like yourself can get the most out of Slack. So whether you're all in on automation or just exploring Slack's potential, I promise you there's something here for you. So you've already got those earbuds in? Let's get Jim on the podcast. So Jim, welcome back to the podcast. Jim Ray: Mike, thanks so much for having me. It's a pleasure to be back. I'm excited to talk to admins and maybe we'll talk a little bit about what's coming at Dreamforce. Mike: I mean all the things, because it's not that I didn't want you back sooner. It's just a really big platform and there's so many things to talk about. Jim Ray: Of course. Mike: But we use Slack every day at Salesforce and a lot of our customers do too. So it's been a while since we've chatted, but what's some of the big stuff that Slack has come out with this year that admins should be excited for if they haven't been paying attention? Jim Ray: Oh, that's such a great question, and obviously we use Slack every day as well, and nobody uses Slack quite like Slack uses Slack. Mike: Oh. Jim Ray: And I think that's probably true for Salesforce in some ways too. But we've been really excited to talk to some of our admins. We're continuing to learn more about the Salesforce developers in particular, and so always excited to hear about the use cases there. A few exciting things that have come out recently that I think will be pretty interesting. So our Workflow Builder product, so this is our no-code automation product that's built right into Slack, I think that's probably something that a lot of Salesforce admins and Slack admins are using. I like to think of Workflow Builder as the front door to the platform. And it's certainly adjacent to the platform in a lot of ways. So we've had some really great de

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to LeeAnne Rimel, Senior Director of Admin and Developer Strategic Content at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about True to the Core Deep Dive and how it will give Salesforce Admins more chances to engage with product leaders, ask questions, and influence the roadmap. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with LeeAnne Rimel. True to the Core with a spin If you've been to a Dreamforce or TDX, you're probably familiar with True to the Core. Typically, it's a keynote session with Salesforce product leaders where you can get key insights and engage them in a Q&A. However, as LeeAnne points out, we've noticed over the years that there isn't always time to go deep on a particular topic. That's why we're launching a special monthly video series, True to the Core Deep Dive. Each month, we'll focus in on one core Salesforce Platform product area, with product leaders there to answer questions and really get down to the nitty-gritty. First episode focus: Setup and user access management For our first episode, we looked at the most highly voted topic area on IdeaExchange: Setup and user access management. So we sat down with Senior PMs Cheryl Feldman and Elizabeth Martin to walk through recent feature updates and look at what's on the roadmap. The highlight was definitely the 40-minute question and answer section, which really let us go so much deeper than your average keynote session. Other product owners Larry Tong and Laurent Kubaski were firing away answering even more questions in the chat. If you missed it, be sure to check out the video on LinkedIn or YouTube. We need you to help pick future topics If LeeAnne wants you to take one thing away from this episode, it's that we need you to help us pick future topics. That's right, this series is all about transparency and that includes topic selection. So each episode ends with a survey to determine what next month's episode will be about. "I read every single comment," LeeAnne says, "we read all of the feedback and it directly informs every episode we're going to put together." So tune in next month for the first community-chosen topic, Flow testing and debugging, and help us figure out what to look at next. Be sure to listen to the full episode for more from LeeAnne about what she's working on for Dreamforce. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us in your feed every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Blog: Introducing True to the Core Deep Dive: In-Depth Product Conversations with Salesforce PMs LinkedIn: True to the Core Deep Dive: Setup and User Access YouTube: True to the Core Deep Dive: Setup and User Access Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social LeeAnne on LinkedIn LeeAnne on X Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: Welcome to Salesforce Admins Podcast. Today, we're diving into a brand new way that Salesforce is connecting with the community called True to the Core Deep Dive. So LeeAnne Rimel, who's been on the podcast before, is going to join me and talk about this new series that gives you, the Salesforce admin, more chances to engage with product leaders, ask questions, and influence the roadmap based on your feedback. You'll have to hear how the first episode went. I'll have the link in the show notes. We're going to hear a little bit about what's coming next, but more importantly, how you can shape future topics. So if you're as excited as I am, keep walking or riding the train or listening, and let's get LeeAnne on the podcast. So LeeAnne, welcome back to the podcast. LeeAnne Rimel: Hi, Mike. Thanks for having me. Mike: Yeah, it's been exciting. And last I checked, there was live, there some event that just melted my social feeds about True to the Core, so we have to start there. Tell me what's going on. LeeAnne Rimel: Well, we love True to the Core and we love True to the Core so much that we are bringing it to you virtually throughout the year. So if you're not familiar with True to the Core, if you haven't attended True to the Core in the past, it's a program with Salesforce that typically is a keynote setting at TrailblazerDX and at Dreamforce where all of our senior product leadership, senior Salesforce executives get on stage and they talk about Salesforce and the future of Salesforce and they answer questions from the audience. And I think, I should know this, I can't remember exactly when it started, but it's more than 10 years old. So it's a little bit of a fan favorite if you've been in the Salesforce ecosystem for a while because it's such a great opportunity to get transparency into roadmap, to ask very direct questions about things that impact you as a Salesforce professional. However, we got feedback from our community about True

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Kate Lessard, Lead Admin Evangelist at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about the new Agentforce Adoption Framework and her new YouTube series, "Kate Clicks Through It". You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Kate Lessard. A flexible, nonlinear learning journey for admins It's been a while since we've had Kate on the pod, but she's been cooking up something cool, and I wanted to sit down with her to hear all about it. It's called the Agentforce Adoption Framework, and it's your guide for bringing the power of AI into your organization. Kate and the Evangelist team identified a gap: admins needed a structured path to get up to speed with everything Agentforce has to offer. The framework breaks this down into five areas of focus: Explore what's possible Get curious Try it out Make it work Use it often You can check out Kate's post on the Admin Blog for more details, but the goal is to help you set goals for your organization and get ready for what's coming next with AI. Hands-on learning through "Kate Clicks Through It" Kate's also started a new YouTube series, "Kate Clicks Through It," where she walks you through Salesforce processes step by step, with demos so you can click along and try them yourself. "I personally am someone who learns best by doing," Kate says, "I need to get hands-on, I need to do something. In many cases, I need to do it over and over again." The videos are around 10 minutes long, giving you quick tutorials on subjects like how to build an Agentforce data library, or how to use Org Check as an alternative to Optimizer. A framework for learning just about anything The Agentforce Adoption Framework was developed through tons of research and feedback from admins, Salesforce MVPs, and folks on the product team. We think it's pretty spiffy—so keep an eye out for more adoption-focused content at Dreamforce or even an event near you. As Kate points out, while Agentforce might be the shiny new toy, the adoption framework can be adapted to just about anything you want to implement. She uses the example of Data Cloud to highlight how important it is to have that fundamental level of adoption for both your users and your external customers. There are so many more great insights from Kate about how to level up your understanding of Agentforce, so be sure to check out the full episode. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you can catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Admin Blog: Your 5-Step Guide to Successful Agentforce Adoption YouTube Series: Kate Clicks Through It Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Kate on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full Transcript Mike: Welcome to the Salesforce Admin's podcast. This week, admin evangelist Kate Lessard joins us to dive into the Agentforce adoption journey. From building a foundation AI to launching the new Kate Clicks Through It YouTube series, Kate walks us through how admins can thoughtfully and confidently bring AI into their organizations. We also chat about how feedback shaped the adoption framework and, sneak peek, what you might see at Dreamforce. So if you've been wondering where to start or where you are on your AI journey, this episode's for you. Let's get Kate on the podcast. So Kate, welcome back to the podcast. Kate Lessard: Thanks. It's been a while. Mike: Yeah. January. Was it when we did the kickoff? That was the last time. Kate Lessard: Maybe. Or maybe did we do a TDX, prep for TDX call maybe? Mike: We might've. Other podcasters would remember their episodes, but me, just crank them out. Kate Lessard: Yeah, you're a little busy. Mike: It's okay. So you've been busy as well. Let's talk about Agentforce stuff and YouTube stuff and everything you've been working on. Kate Lessard: Yeah, absolutely. It has definitely been a busy year. It's been flying by. And some really exciting stuff that we've been working on for admins this year. Mike: First up being Agentforce stuff, because Agentforce. I know there's not too much Agentforce out there. People say that, there's not. When we're recording this ChatGPT is coming out with a new model. This is our new norm. It's like when the iPhone drop, there's not enough iPhone information out in the world. There's always iPhone information out in the world. There's always going to be AI stuff for us to learn. Kate Lessard: Yeah, agreed. I think that that's the really cool thing about Agentforce and the job that we get to do is that we get to play with and learn the new things as they're coming out because it's so important for us to share with others and let them learn from our mistakes. So I think that that brings a lot of fun experimentation into our jobs. Mike: Right, absolutely. So speaking of that, how do w

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Amit Malik, the Content Portfolio Lead for AI within Product Education at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how we can teach AI effectively to admins and the easiest way to learn Agentforce. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Amit Malik. The shift from knowledge to value As the Content Portfolio Lead for AI in Product Education at Salesforce, Amit is the perfect person to talk to about where admins should get started with learning Agentforce. After all, his job is all about planning the courses that are offered globally about Agentforce and Data Cloud. What Amit emphasizes is that past knowledge matters less than what learners do in the next 12 months. Agentforce's capabilities are growing with every release, so he recommends focusing on understanding the core concepts of how AI works and building from there. Malik's agent framework for admins When you're building with AI, the first step is aligning on why an agent is needed in the first place. From there, he recommends asking five questions to guide your process: Is an AI agent the best way to solve this problem? Would it be easier to build a flow? Just because you can solve something with Agentforce doesn't mean you should. What agent type do you need? Salesforce has several pre-built agent templates for specific use cases, like Service Agent, Employee Agent, or Guided Shopping Agents. Consider those options before trying to build something more complicated. What topics do you want to assign to this agent? Define the set of business problems you want your agent to solve. There are standard pre-built topics like FAQ or escalation, but you can make a custom topic if needed. How will you provide data to your agent? AI is only as good as the data you provide it, so you need to make sure you have everything you need in Data Cloud and set up access with the Agentforce Data Library. What actions do you want the agent to perform? "This is where the magic happens," Amit says. There are four types of actions: Flow, Apex, API, and Prompt Template. It's important to understand that Agentforce is the final layer of the org, the interface. An agent is really an aggregation of the topics you build it to solve. Those topics comprise the specific actions you enable your agent to perform, and those topics, in turn, are possible based on the data you've integrated into Data Cloud. Adopting a learner's mindset For Amit, the most important thing you can do if you want to learn Agentforce is to adopt a learner's mindset. "The art of learning is to become curious," he explains, "education is not about the instructor, it's more about the learner." Where many businesses go wrong is viewing AI as a solution in search of a problem. But once you start to get curious about the specifics of your business processes, you'll start to find all sorts of new ways that AI agents can help. And building around these specific, real-world use cases is the easiest way to get started mastering Agentforce. Amit has a lot to share about learning, teaching, and working with Agentforce, so be sure to tune in for the full episode. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch a new episode every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: Architect Courses for Admins with Amit Malik Trailhead: Discover Agentforce Trailhead: Review Agentforce and Data Library Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Amit on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we're welcoming back, Amit Malik to talk about a topic that's very top of mind for every Salesforce admin right now, which is how do we teach AI effectively? Amit's going to share with us some insights from over a decade of Salesforce instruction diving into why teaching AI is a little bit different now, and how admins can use his five question agent framework to put to better use. Now, whether you're just getting started with Agent Force or you're already experimenting with Data Cloud, this conversation's packed with practical ways to bring clarity to your learning and to your users. So with that, let's get Amit on the podcast. All right, Amit, so welcome to the podcast. Amit Malik: Thank you. Mike Gerholdt: I know a few years back you were on to talk about the architect mindset, so I'll be sure to link to that episode, but now we're talking everything Agentforce and Data Cloud and Metadata and Customer 360. But for people that haven't been around listening to the podcast for three years, and there's a few of them, could you reacquaint the audience with what you do at Salesforce and your journey to Salesforce? Amit Malik: Sure. I joined Salesforce in 2013 and I have been lucky to

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to John Wall, co-host of the Marketing Over Coffee Podcast. Join us as we chat about how new generative AI tools are enabling marketers to get more personalized. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with John Wall. Six core marketing use cases for AI Thanks to Agentforce, generative AI has moved from novelty to necessity for most organizations. It's a key tool for strategic content creation, customer insight, and business transformation. That's why I sat down with John Wall, co-host of the Marketing Over Coffee Podcast, with guests like Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, and Debbie Millman. John identifies six key areas where marketers can lean on AI support: Generation Summarization Extraction Rewriting Classification Question answering These tasks are helping marketers analyze massive datasets, repurpose content, and simulate customer feedback in ways that were previously unimaginable. So my question for John was: what can we, as admins, build to help them out? Better data, smarter personas Marketers use personas to help them think about the specific people in their audience that they want to reach. "Right now, that's four people in a conference room coming up with cute nicknames like Sally Shopper or Wally the Weekend Warrior," John says. In the future, however, AI will make it possible to decide on marketing personas based on data-driven profiling. Marketers can extract customer patterns from engagement data and train real models based on statistics, not spitballing. Even more exciting, these new persona agents are essentially customers on demand. You can ask them questions and get their feedback while you plan your next marketing campaign. Why you need a human in the loop As everyone rushes to deploy AI, John emphasizes the importance of the human in the loop. Mistakes are bound to happen, and rushed implementations can harm brand trust. You need to make sure that any solution you deploy has gone through a thorough internal vetting process before it goes live. As John says, AI advancements are probably not going to put you out of a job, but they'll definitely make your job easier. "The big thing is you have to be curious," he says, "go play with something and see what you can make it do and what kind of results you can get from it." Listen to the full episode for more from John about how AI is transforming marketing. And make sure you're subscribed to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more John's Podcast: Marketing Over Coffee Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: 2025 Roadmap for Salesforce Admins: AI, Agentforce, and Emerging Trends Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: How Agentforce Transforms Customer Interactions at Salesforce Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: How Agentforce Is Changing the Career Landscape Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social John on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: This week on the Salesforce Admin's Podcast, we're catching up with John Wall, longtime marketer, podcaster, and co-host of Marketing Over Coffee. We're going to dive into the rise of AI in marketing from smart summarization and rewriting tools to full-blown virtual agents. We're going to unpack how marketers can stay ahead and why AI is not magic, even though it kind of feels that way, and what smart Salesforce admins should be watching for next. Plus, you'll hear why having a human in the loop is still the secret sauce to marketing. So give this episode a listen and join me in welcoming John Wall to the podcast. So, John, welcome to the podcast. John Wall: Mike, it's great to be on the mic with you again. Mike Gerholdt: I know, it's been a while. I feel the last time we recorded was in Boston, 100 years ago. John Wall: Yeah, downtown Boston. I remember we were live on Newbury Street. That was like the heart of all the action. Mike Gerholdt: Yep. We were recording the old style podcast. We had an Edison, it was putting it on a phonograph and some wax tubes. John Wall: That's right. Sitting there with my ear trumpet listening. Mike Gerholdt: Ear trumpet, I love it. For those people, like the two people in the world that don't listen to Marketing Over Coffee, can you give us a brief overview of what you do and what Marketing Over Coffee is? John Wall: Yeah, sure. So, my whole career I worked in marketing and tech, and God, going on what, 16, 17 years ago when podcasting was just done with steam engine and hammers and nails. We created Marketing Over Coffee, with my co-host Christopher Penn. And we've had this ongoing dialogue of just every week, 25 to 30 minutes talking about what's going on in marketing and tech. And just like CRM, this space is so insane and changing every week, there's no shortage of st

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Derika West, IT Application Support Analyst II at KinderCare Learning Companies. Join us as we chat about how she got started in her tech career and how she started her Salesforce journey. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Derika West. Getting started in a tech career Derika started her career in the U.S. Army as a Carpentry and Masonry Specialist. From there, she bounced around between service industry jobs while she tried to figure out what was next. "There's no way I could get into tech," she told herself, "that's way too smart for me." However, when Derika moved to the West Coast, her friends believed in her. She applied for a position as a QA Test Technician, and spent a lot of time figuring out how to pitch her skills in a way that would make sense for the role. And that position gave her a foothold into an entirely new career. Getting hands-on with Salesforce In her current role, Derika is the SME for her organization's transition from Classic to Lightning. It's an org with over 40,000 users, so change comes slowly. She found herself in more and more conversations with end users about their pain points using their Salesforce deployment, and started looking for solutions. One thing that has been very helpful for Derika is to reach out to the people at her organization who are more experienced with the Salesforce platform. Even learning the basics of what they do and how they got to where they are today was very helpful in making the decisions that would shape her career. Why you should go to a Salesforce Admin Meetup Derika resolved to go to the next Portland Salesforce Admin Meetup, where she happened to meet Admin Evangelist superstar Kate Lessard. "I told everyone in the room that I'm new and I know nothing about what I'm doing," Derika says, "and everyone was so welcoming and so helpful." Kate connected Derika with Supermums, an organization that provides training and volunteer opportunities to help people get started with a career in Salesforce. She's about to take her certification exam, and let's all send her good vibes and good luck. Make sure to listen to the full episode for more from Derika, and don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you can catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Supermums Learn more Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Derika on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Love our podcasts? Subscribe today or review us on iTunes! Full show transcript Josh Birk: Hello, everybody. Welcome to The Salesforce Admins Podcast. I am your guest host, Josh Birk, and today I'm delighted to bring Derika West onto the show, to talk about her journey into Salesforce, into the world of tech. And where she is on that journey, where she's looking for to go. Welcome to the show, Derika. All right, welcome everybody to the show. Today we are going to welcome Derika West to talk about her journey into Salesforce, where she is with it right now, and we're her future looks. And Derika, in looking at your CV, it pretty much starts with your military experience. What was it like being in the Army? Derika West: Yeah. The Army was a wonderful thing for development for myself. I've always been a self-starter, I would say. And someone who thinks outside the box. And I just didn't know where that would fit for me in terms of which direction of a career I wanted to take. I initially started in college, and then I met somebody in my math class in college who was actively in... I think it was the reserves at the time, and I think she's full-time active duty now. But we just started talking about options of careers. And I'm always asking questions, as you'll find out. I just asked her, what is it like being a female in the military? And she just said, "There's so many things that you can do as a female that you aren't really told growing up, and even high school." For me, I never considered the military as an option for me. And then, I just learned that there's so many different routes you can take. It's a way to build yourself up and get some self-confidence, really, as a female. And so, I ended up speaking to a recruiter, got involved, and then I joined the Army. And did battle buddy things with her and talked to her throughout my journey. It was really great. Yeah, I had a good time in the military. Josh Birk: So two follow-up questions to that. First, was there something about the Army role that you were looking at that you were... Going back to your point, I didn't know. I didn't think about me being as an engineer because I haven't seen a lot of women in tech, women in engineering, stuff like that. Was there something about the role that was like, oh, this could be something cool and new that I

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Chris Emmett, Salesforce Solution Architect at Capgemini. Join us as we chat about how to clean up your data to prepare your org for Agentforce, and why data without context is useless. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Chris Emmett. AI requires clean data I caught up with Chris hot on the heels of his TDX London session, "Prep Like a Pro: Clean Data and Metadata for Agentforce." He's an experienced Salesforce consultant who has helped countless organizations of all sizes reboot their business processes. As Chris explains, unless you have a company of five people that started last week, your org probably needs some data cleanup. And if you want to get started with Agentforce, you need to do the work to make sure the agents you build can understand your data and use it to generate actionable insights. After all, if you can't derive useful information from your data, then it's useless. Why cleaning data can feel like boiling the ocean When I worked in sales, we used a CRM that was so complicated that only one guy at our company knew how to use it. Talk about a bottleneck! The truth is, if your business has been around for a little while, you've probably inherited all sorts of legacy data. Maybe it's some random field created by that one guy in the 90s who didn't document anything, or a legacy system like SAP or MSX that is essential to your day-to-day operations. Chris has seen it all, and it can often feel like cleaning up all that data is akin to boiling the ocean. It's a monumental task with no end in sight, let alone getting the organizational buy-in to do it in the first place. A practical way to start cleaning your data Chris recommends focusing your data cleanup strategy on the functionality you want to build in Agentforce. For example, if you want an agent to email a customer when their opportunity is five days from the close date and still unsigned, what data do you actually need? You don't need the 300 fields that might be on the opportunity page, or the 300 fields in that account. You might need the opportunity's name, the stage of the opportunity, the close date, the account, and maybe the primary contact of that account. That's five pieces of information. Suddenly, you don't need to boil the entire ocean—you just need to boil a cup of water. So start small, focus on the functionality your data cleanup project will deliver, and get the ball rolling. Trust that the things you build with Agentforce will speak for themselves, and you'll be able to generate momentum to clean up your data project by project. Make sure to listen to our full conversation with Chris to learn more about how to clean up your data and provide context for AI agents. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast so you never miss an episode. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Automate with Agentforce Episode: Using AI To Maximize Sales | Automate with Agentforce Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: How Should I Clean Metadata for Salesforce AI Agents? Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Chris on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we're joined by Chris Emmett, consultant, data enthusiast and Salesforce evangelist accidentally. Well, Chris is passionate about data, and he takes us on a journey from legacy systems and those DOS screens to databases and AI-powered actions, all while sharing practical advice on how to clean up your data without making it feel like you're boiling the ocean. So if you ever wondered how to prepare your org for Agentforce or why data without context is basically useless, this one is for you. So listen in, share it with somebody who maybe is swimming in a sea of records. So let's have Chris swim his life raft over and let's get him on the podcast. So Chris, welcome to the podcast. Chris Emmett: Thanks for having me. Mike: Yeah. Well, it's good to be here. I got a note from Jennifer Lee. She saw the session that you and Jonathan did at TDX London about cleaning data and cleaning metadata, and last week, we talked with Jonathan about cleaning metadata, so this week, of course, we're going to clean our data because who doesn't have clean data? But let's start off first with a little bit about you, Chris. How did you get into Salesforce and why are you so passionate about clean data? Chris Emmett: Yeah. Before I start that, you said who doesn't have clean data? It really should be the other way around. Mike: I know. It was a rhetorical question to get people to listen and be like, oh, but there could be that one person that tunes into the podcast, like I don't need to listen to this. My data is sparkling. Chris Emmett: You know what? If there is a company out there with five

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Jonathan Fox, Head of Salesforce Architecture at IntellectAI. Join us as we chat about why we should rethink how we label, structure, and maintain Salesforce metadata. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Jonathan Fox. How do you know if your metadata needs to be cleaned up? When we were trying to implement Agentforce on the Admin Evangelist org, we came to a sobering realization. Despite all the content we create on how to do things the right way, it turns out that we all approach metadata a little differently. That's why I was so excited to sit down with Jonathan to talk about how to clean up your metadata for AI. Training an agent is like showing your org to someone who knows nothing about your business. Suddenly, it's really important what the labels mean and that they're consistent. Start small with metadata The thing about technical debt is that it's not a problem until it becomes a problem. Your metadata is probably fine for most of your users, who have a working knowledge of your business processes. It's only when you try to implement Agentforce that you realize you have a problem. Jonathan recommends that you start small when you're trying to clean your metadata. Roll out Agentforce for a small use case and only clean up the metadata associated with that specific task. If you need to generate buy-in, try running Agentforce as-is and then show your stakeholders just how much difference a little bit of cleanup can make. Metadata is the foundation "Your metadata is the foundation of your Salesforce org," Jonathan says, "you don't want to get it wrong, you don't want to make it worse. So it needs to be treated with that respect and that kind of importance when you're changing it." Documentation is the key to making sure that you're keeping things usable for human and AI employees alike. You need to make sure that you fully understand the impacts of any changes you're implementing, or you risk breaking all sorts of automations in your org. Jonathan had so many more great insights about how to start cleaning up your metadata for AI agents, so be sure to listen to the full episode. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Jonathan on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: Welcome to the Salesforce Admin's podcast, and hey, how did we do last week? Did you listen to that episode to see how our 2025 admin predictions were holding up? If not, add that to your play next list, because that was a fun look back. I like listening to things from the past, but let's go ahead to the future. So in this episode this week, we're joined by Jonathan Fox, who takes us behind the scenes on something every admin deals with, and maybe you don't think you do, but it's metadata. And in fact, in next week's episode, we're going to talk about cleaning data, so buckle up folks. It's summer cleaning time. But the fun thing is we start off with a conversation around a barbecue that sparked Jonathan's career and got it into amazing directions. How many people talk Salesforce over barbecue? And Jonathan also helps us rethink how we label, structure and maintain Salesforce metadata. So whether you're prepping for Agentforce or just going through an org and wondering what some of those data labels mean, I promise you, this episode is for you, and if you love what you hear, be sure to give us a favorite or a review on iTunes. But with that, let's get Jonathan on the episode. So Jonathan, welcome to the podcast. Jonathan Fox: Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be on. Mike: Well, I'm excited to tackle this because we've bounced around and I've done a few episodes on cleaning data and cleaning metadata and back and forth and back and forth, and I think it hit our team like a truck when we were working on implementing Agentforce in our org, and Josh, who was working on it, came to the realization that despite having three or four evangelists on the team, we'd all named fields differently and we'd all done things a little different. And he's like, "We really have to talk to people about metadata." And we'll get into that and we'll have a follow-up episode on data data, but Jonathan, let's hear about you. How did you get started with Salesforce and what do you do? Jonathan Fox: My journey into Salesforce was, well, most people say this, a little bit unorthodox. My background is the military in the British Army, and I stumbled across Salesforce, family barbecue. My brother-in-law brought me into the Salesforce world and taught me how to be a developer basically, and I worked my way up through- Mike: At the barbecue? Jona

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Jennifer Lee, Joshua Birk, and Kate Lessard from the Admin Evangelist team at Salesforce. Join us as we revisit the team's predictions from the beginning of the year for how Agentforce will change the game for admins in 2025. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Jennifer Lee, Joshua Birk, and Kate Lessard. Agentforce content highlights from 2024 I started by asking the team which content from 2024 still holds up. Between "Automate This" and "How I Solved It", Jenn puts a lot of great stuff out there. However, she pointed to her modular flows walkthrough on the blog. By breaking complicated processes down into smaller chunks, you make it easier to reuse bits and pieces of them in future solutions. Kate was more focused on the big picture. In her blog, "Introduction to Agentforce for Salesforce Admins," she explains why admins are the perfect candidates to become the go-to AI expert in their organizations. Unsurprisingly, Josh got a little more technical with his answer, highlighting the growing importance of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and simple prompt engineering. He points to his interview with Nochum Klein about how he uses Agentforce to organize and search information security documentation at Salesforce. How Agentforce will help admins in 2025 The team also looked ahead to 2025, and I think it's fun to look back on how things are shaping up now that it's July. Kate was focused on how Agentforce will affect admins' core responsibilities. The agents you build make life easier for both you and your users. However, she pointed out that security and AI governance will be critical as it becomes easier for more people to interact with your data. Jen was excited to launch two new video series in 2025. If you haven't yet checked out "Automate with Agentforce", it's been incredibly helpful in showing all the cool new solutions you can build with AI. She also has a series about how she's learning Agentforce, which is a great place to get started. Finally, Josh was excited about building AI agents that interact with documentation and metadata, enabling faster support, onboarding, and troubleshooting experiences. When combined with Slack integration, you can save your users so much time. What we'll be saying at the end of 2025 To finish out the episode, I asked the team to make predictions for what we'll be saying at the end of 2025. Josh: "It's the end of 2025, and I can't believe Salesforce Admins found Agentforce so easy to work with." Kate: "It's the end of 2025 and I can't believe Salesforce Admins are creating dynamic experiences this advanced!" Jen: "It's the end of 2025 and I can't believe Salesforce Admins can now do things like troubleshoot user management issues faster than ever before!" It's halfway through the year now, so how did we do? And how is your 2025 going? Are you working with Agentforce? Navigating new AI tools? Hit us up in the Trailblazer Community and share your admin wins and lessons. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Jen's 2024 blog post: Embrace Modular Flows to Build Smarter Automation for Agentforce Kate's 2024 blog post: Introduction to Agentforce for Salesforce Admins Kate's other 2024 blog post: Advance Your Admin Career With Dev Fundamentals Josh's 2024 Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: How Agentforce Transforms Customer Interactions at Salesforce Blog: 6 Tips To Help You Troubleshoot Agentforce With Confidence Blog: How Admins Drive Innovation With Core Responsibilities in the Agentforce Era Video Series: Automate with Agentforce Video series: Automate This! Video series: How I Solved It Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Jen on LinkedIn Josh on LinkedIn Kate on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on Tiktok Mike on X Love our podcasts? Subscribe today or review us on iTunes! Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: Hey, Salesforce Admins! It's July, and we're officially halfway through 2025—which makes it the perfect time to hit pause and reflect. Back on January 1, we gathered the Admin Evangelist Team—Jen Lee, Kate Lassard, and Josh Burke—for a special kickoff episode full of predictions, priorities, and plans for the year ahead. So today, we're rebroadcasting that conversation as a mid-year check-in. Were we right? Were we way off? You decide. Give it a listen, and then let us know how your year as a Salesforce Admin is shaping up. Stay tuned—and see how far we've come. Welcome, everybody, to the podcast. There's a lot of people to introduce, so I'm going to go in reverse order. Jen, let's start off with you. Can you give us a brief introduction and some of the cool content you've created last year at Salesforce? Jennifer Lee: Sure, absolutely. I am Jen Lee, Lead Admin Evangelist, and you all probably know me as the host of Automa

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Brinkal Janani, Director of Product Management at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how Generative Canvas will help admins create dynamic, personalized user experiences. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Brinkal Janani. What is Generative Canvas? Brinkal was on the team of engineers that built Dynamic Forms. Since then, he's been looking for new ways to help admins build dynamic user experiences without code. That's why I was so excited to sit down with him and hear about his latest project: Generative Canvas. Generative Canvas allows Salesforce Admins to create interactive, persistent layouts by prompting AI agents. Basically, you ask an agent to run an analysis or summarize some records and it'll respond with a Lightning Component that you can drop into your layout. Admins configure the agents, connect the data, and suddenly, their users can build their own dynamic, personalized UX. Persistent and personalized user experiences One of the biggest challenges for admins is anticipating what your users are going to need in terms of data and workflows. Static tools like Lightning Page Builder and Dynamic Forms are great as long as you have the right requirements. But making adjustments means a lot of back-and-forth, especially when you have to balance the needs of several different users. Generative Canvas UIs are persistent, but they're also personalized. The admin still has control over what data can be used, but the user has control over how they see it. Instead of going through all those extra steps, they just need to ask an agent for what they want and drop the Lightning Component directly into their own individual, personalized UI. A hybrid future for admins Brinkal envisions a hybrid future where static and dynamic tools coexist. Admins might start building with Lightning pages, but move into Generative Canvas when deeper interaction is required. This hybrid approach ensures flexibility while harnessing the power of AI-driven customization. If all of this sounds a little vague to you, I highly recommend watching the demo video to understand what it looks like in action. As Brinkal says, the future is dynamic, personalized, and built with no code. For more about Generative Canvas from Brinkal, make sure to listen to the full episode. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Generative Canvas demo video Help Article: Visualize Your Data with Generative Canvas (Preview) Release Notes: Generative Canvas (Preview) Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Brinkal on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we're diving into the future of AI-powered customization with Brinkal Janani. Now Brinkal is a product manager here at Salesforce and he's leading the charge on Lightning App Builder and AI-generated apps. Today, specifically we're talking about Generative Canvas, forward-looking statement. I bet it's going to get renamed. So we're going to call it Generative Canvas for now, but literally watch the video that's in the show notes. This thing is so cool because it's going to reimagine how admins, how our users can interact with data and build dynamic experiences. And my two most favorite words, without code. Now, before we jump in, I want to make sure you're subscribed to the Salesforce Admins Podcast. That way when a new episode like this drops, boom, you can listen to it. I don't want you to miss out, so be sure to pay attention in whatever app you are using to either press that follow or subscribe button. So with that, let's get Brinkal on the podcast. So Brinkal, welcome to the podcast. Brinkal Janani: Thanks, Mike, for having me. Mike Gerholdt: Well, we're fresh off the heels of TDX and with AI and everything going on, I feel like the metaphor I've used of how fast technology changing is jumping out of a plane, it's moving very fast. I feel like it's jumping out of a plane and skydiving superfast towards the earth because with AI, everything's changing. And we're going to talk about some of the really cool stuff that you're working on on the platform, but let's get started with just learning a little bit more about Brinkal and what you do at Salesforce. So why don't you tell us what you do and some of the stuff that you work on? Brinkal Janani: Sure. Mike, as you guys know, I'm Brinkal Janani and I've been at Salesforce for a little over than nine years now, and throughout my career at Salesforce. I've played various roles. I started my career as a software engineer in test, eventually transitioned to full stack software engineer, and now I'm a product manager overseeing a couple of product portfolios, namely Lighting App Builde

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Kurtis Kemple, Senior Director of Developer Relations at Slack. Join us as we chat about what's possible when you combine Slack, Salesforce, and AI agents. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Kurtis Kemple. Starting at square one in tech Kurtis's path to his career in tech is truly inspiring. Not only is he a completely self-taught programmer, but he learned those skills while incarcerated. It was hard to get any sort of job when he got out, let alone convince someone to take a chance on him as a software engineer. Today, Kurtis is the Senior Director of Developer Relations for Slack. His role is primarily focused on advocacy, with a focus on improving the developer experience through thoughtful product design and community input. So he's the perfect person to talk to about what's possible with Slack, Salesforce, and AI agents. Slack is the OS for work When it comes to collaborating with your team, Kurtis sees Slack as the OS for work. It's a space to bring together everything you need—your communications, your documents, your data—all in one place so you can start getting things done. Switching contexts can be a productivity killer. That's why Slack's integration with Salesforce is so powerful, because it allows you to have everything right at your fingertips without needing to go back and forth between windows. Whether you're looking at Salesforce data in Slack to have a conversation with a co-worker about an opportunity, or updating your team on what you're building in Salesforce, seamless authentication means you can do everything from wherever you happen to be working without having to switch back and forth. Agents and automation inside Slack The possibilities are even more exciting when you throw Agentforce into the mix. As Kurtis points out, Slack actions are part of the list of standard actions. That means you can build custom agents that use data from either platform to launch workflows, run a quick analysis, and much more. Kurtis also gets into how you can customize Agentforce by plugging in various LLM libraries, or connecting it with external services or authentication providers. As he explains, prompt templates are powerful tools for controlling your agents' responses so that they fit into your business processes. This episode is a deep dive into everything you can do with Agentforce and Slack, so be sure to take a listen. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Blog: Getting Started With Slack and Agentforce Integration Trailhead: Connect Your Agentforce Org with Slack Trailhead: Learn How Agentforce and Slack Work Together Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: What Can Salesforce Admins Do with Slack Integrations? Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Kurtis on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on Tiktok Mike on X Full Transcript Josh Birk: Hello, Salesforce admins, your guest host Josh Birk here. Today on the show, we're going to welcome Kurtis Kemple, who's overrunning developer advocacy at Slack. We're going to talk about Slack, we're going to talk about AI, we're going to talk about Kurt's beginnings, and this was a great interview. Very happy we got it on tape. And so, let's go right over to Kurt. All right. Today on the show we welcome Kurtis Kemple of Salesforce Developer Advocacy. Kurt, welcome to the show. Kurtis Kemple: It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you so much for having me. Josh Birk: So let's start, I usually start talking about people's early years. And you have a very, let's not say unique, but a very interesting early days of getting into computing. You're self-taught in web development and you learn that in prison. Correct? Kurtis Kemple: Yeah, that's correct. I prefer to think of it more as self-guided. I'd like to take all the credit, but I was still reading books, watching YouTube videos, paying for courses. So you're still creating a learning environment more so than just I had... Well, in prison I did have nothing, but then I just opened a laptop and just essentially went at code with nothing. I don't want to essentially leave out all the people who I wouldn't be here without them. Josh Birk: Did you have an interest in computers beforehand or was it just sort of a, "Here's this moment in my life and I want to make changes, and I want to learn something new"? Kurtis Kemple: Well, it was definitely that second one, but not related to code. So it was pure happenstance. Prior to incarceration, I had very limited experience in technology. I had a pager once when I was 18, cell phones were coming out, and I would download music off LimeWire. That was it. I had to type with two fingers, like pecking at the keyboard. Josh Birk: Did the looking over the

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Michael Rose, Senior Director of SMB Solution Engineering at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about the ever-evolving role of the Salesforce Admin and why now's the time to start exploring what AI can do for your org. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Michael Rose. The parallel between admins and solution engineers It's always a pleasure to sit down and talk about Salesforce with Mike Rose. In his new role as Senior Director of SMB Solution Engineering, he has a lot to share with the admin community about what he's seeing with small to medium-sized businesses coming onto the platform. Mike points out that admins and his team of solution engineers share a core responsibility: evangelism. For both, your job is to make the case for how Salesforce implementation can help your organization achieve its business goals. The integration challenges of smaller orgs As Mike likes to joke, many SMBs are running some version of what Mike jokingly calls POIM (Post-It On Monitor) integration. As in, someone comes over with a sticky note (or Excel file) and asks you to put that info into Salesforce. "That's all integration," he says, "it is taking that data and putting it somewhere where it can be more valuable." These workflows can be hard to change, and that's because they work well enough to get the job done. As Mike explains, the opportunity cost of things like errors, bottlenecks, and latency doesn't factor into the equation. It's hard to envision a world where an entire business process could happen automatically. For Mike, the next frontier of this conversation is Agentforce. You can develop bespoke, enterprise-grade AI solutions tailored specifically for your business, but that kind of power is hard to wrap your head around when you're still trying to limit the number of sticky notes circulating around the office. Why admins are the key to unlocking the power of AI As AI solutions continue to evolve, Salesforce Admins will play a critical role in bridging the gap between humans and technology. As Mike says, "there is always going to be a border that has customs agents and couriers and envoys working across that human intelligence and machine intelligence boundary." Agentforce is evolving so rapidly that even the Solution Engineering team is struggling to keep up to date. So Mike recommends getting your hands dirty as soon as possible, either by spinning up a developer org or turning on Salesforce Foundations. There's a lot more great stuff from Mike in this episode, so be sure to take a listen. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Foundations Setup Get Started with Developer Edition with Agentforce and Data Cloud Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Mike Rose on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Michael: This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we're thrilled to welcome back Mike Rose, a 12-year Salesforce veteran who has a new role and some fresh insights. Mike and I get into the real talk about what it's like supporting small to medium businesses, the ever-evolving role of the Salesforce admin, and how tools like Agentforce are really changing the game. Now, whether you're a full-time admin or you're wearing five hats in your org, this episode speaks your language. Mike also shares why now is the best time to roll up your sleeves and start exploring AI in your sandbox. So you've already hit play on this episode, get ready to feel seen, and let's get Mike back on the podcast. So Mike, welcome back to the podcast. Mike Rose: It's such a pleasure, Michael. I have been a long-time listener and repeat caller, but very glad to be back after years. Michael: I know. I feel like we used to do World Tours and we'd run into each other like we need to do a podcast together. Mike Rose: It's true. Michael: And then we'd do a random podcast together. And then this last time I just saw you on Slack. I was like, I haven't had Mike on the podcast in a while. Mike Rose: It's true. And I actually said, "Yes, absolutely, let's do it." And then, I think it was a month of gap before I got back to you and then you were on vacation. By the way, folks, if you find yourselves running into the consequences of your own inaction, say, in the middle of the night on a weekend, and you say, "Oh, I really should reach out to that person, but I don't want to do it right now, because that's just awkward." Slack's scheduled messages are your friend. Michael: I'm telling you, I use Slacks' scheduled messages all the time, especially when I go on vacation, I can schedule stuff. Or the best is when you have a team that's in a different time zone. So we'll have a team, let's see when th

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Jennifer Lee, Lead Admin Evangelist at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about what's coming in the Summer '25 release and the features that will make your life easier as an admin. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Jennifer Lee. The Summer '25 release is coming soon It's that time of year again. The time for popsicles, backyard barbecues, and the Summer '25 Release. So I've brought none other than Jennifer Lee on the pod to tell us what's coming for admins. As always, Jen has a great blog post covering all of the changes with animated gifs that show how they work. I'd highly recommend scrolling through it as a visual companion to this episode, but the big takeaway here is that admins' lives are about to get a whole lot easier. Jen's highlights from the Summer '25 release At a high level, Summer '25 means fewer clicks and more control for admins. Jen highlights some key changes: The Close Case button: No need for custom buttons—you can add a Close Case button to the Case Details page and save your reps the extra clicks. Better custom object deletion: When you delete a custom object, you'll see a detailed page listing any relationships it has to other objects. The new Permission Set Summary page: You can now update user, object, field, and custom permissions directly from a permission set's Summary page, without navigating to multiple pages. Expanded Salesforce Go: Your guided tour for how to enable/configure features in your Salesforce edition, with resources to help you get started. As always with releases, the little things add up. And these changes help you effortlessly manage your org like never before. Powerful new features in Flow Of course, no episode with Jen would be complete without diving into the changes coming for Flow. She draws our attention to a few key enhancements for Flow: Get related records (beta): Instead of dealing with multiple Get Records and Update Records elements, you can now get entire hierarchies of related records, such as an Account and all of its Contacts and Opportunities, in a single Get Records element. Expanded resources search in Flow Builder (beta): When you enable this feature in Setup, you'll be able to quickly find resources like fields from records and outputs from actions. New Time data type: You can now reference the new Time data type for things like scheduling reminders, routing records based on specific times of day, and triggering time-sensitive actions with pinpoint accuracy. Debug enhancements: Debugging your flows has never been easier, with element-level summaries, and search capabilities within the debug to help get your flow flowing. Approval Wizard: It's complicated to build an approval process, so we've made it easier to get started with up to three approval levels, final actions, and even a recall path. There are a lot more great insights from Jen about screen flow enhancements and other changes coming in Summer '25, so be sure to listen to the full episode. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Blog: Jen's Top Summer '25 Features for Admins Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group r Jennifer on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: Welcome to the Salesforce Admins Podcast. This week, Jennifer Lee returns to the pod to break down what's new in the summer '25 release. And trust me, it's more than sunshine and good vibes if you read her blog post that she put out earlier in May. From long-awaited case close buttons to a major user management upgrade, I promise you Jennifer is going to walk us through some features that make your admin life easier. Plus we dig into flow enhancements, better debugging and why thoughtful resource naming still matters. I mean, we can't not talk flow with Jennifer Lee, that's just how it works. If you've ever been wondering what to focus on with your attention to this release cycle, this is your episode. Super fun to go through. Now, if you enjoy this episode, be sure to hit that follow or subscribe button on whatever podcast platform you're listening to. So with that, let's get Jennifer back on the podcast. So Jen, welcome back to the podcast. Jennifer Lee: Always love being here. Mike: I mean, it's summer already. It feels like it was just spring. We were just talking about spring and now it's summer. Isn't this how it always works? Jennifer Lee: Well, now I'm actually feeling summer for real in Boston. It's hot out, I'm wearing shorts. Mike: Yeah, I mean, every time I've been to Boston it's either snow, really hot or snow. Jennifer Lee: And it was cold probably a few days ago too, so I'll take it. Mike: Right. Yep, that's okay. But with summer comes summer rele

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Joshua Birk, Admin Evangelist at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about why your metadata is crucial for building effective AI agents. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Joshua Birk. Why multi-tenancy still matters for Agentforce As the Admin Evangelist team has been helping people get started with Agentforce, we've noticed that the key to unlocking this new technology is to revisit some of the oldest concepts about the Salesforce platform. That's why I brought Josh Birk on the pod to talk about metadata and multi-tenant architecture. If you need a refresher, that's the idea that Salesforce is like an apartment building where each org is an apartment. Your stuff is in your individual unit, but the entire building shares resources like water and electricity. So what's the difference from 2010? As Josh explains, it's that every apartment comes standard with an Agentforce-powered robot butler. Quality data leads to better automation Imagine you're sitting down for dinner, and you want your robot butler to set the table—how does it know where the forks are? And what happens if they're buried in your junk drawer? Clearly, a robot butler will be more helpful if you keep your apartment organized. And, as Josh points out, the same is true for your Salesforce org. AI agents rely on your metadata, like description fields and field types, to help them respond correctly and find what your users are looking for. With longstanding orgs, there can be an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindset, but that's the equivalent of throwing everything in the junk drawer. Doing a little spring cleaning and organizing your metadata helps Agentforce help you. Why you're already an AI builder The key thing Josh wants you to realize is that you're already an AI builder. An agent is just another user in your org, and so the work you do to make your data easy to use is also what powers the solutions you build in Agentforce. That's why it's so important to fall back on Salesforce fundamentals. Building an agent is the easy part. The hard part is making sure your metadata is in a good place to support your AI solutions, but that's the work that admins do every day. There's so much more great stuff from Josh in this episode, so be sure to take a listen. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Trailhead: Custom Metadata Types Basics Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Josh on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full Transcript Mike: Hey, Salesforce admins. Ever wonder what multi-tenancy AI and your junk drawer have in common? Luckily, Josh Birk is back to explain it all, from forks, to metadata. Yeah, we even throw in some robot butlers. This episode's a ride through the architecture that makes Salesforce magic happen with, I promise you, enough analogies to stock your kitchen. So, if you've ever said, "Wait, where are the forks?" This one's for you. And when you listen to it, that sentence will make sense. So give it a listen, send it to your friends. Be sure to hit that follow subscribe button to get brand new episodes downloaded on your mobile device. And without waiting any longer, let's get Josh Birk back on the podcast. So Josh, welcome back to the podcast. Josh Birk: Thanks, Mike. Glad you're back. Mike: It's been a while, but you've been working on stuff. Josh Birk: I have been working on stuff. It's been a busy little quarter. This thing called AI never really stops sleeping. I guess it's one of its benefits. But yeah, trying to catch up with all things AI, and data cloud, and especially trying where there's a wealth of stuff happening before Dreamforce, and we really would like to get our admins community armed with that information. Mike: You mentioned Dreamforce. Dreamforce start till October. Josh Birk: Well, I know, but I thought July was a really far away away, and I realized I have a trip to Montreal next week because it's June, and it's like, "Okay, right." The months, they're collapsing away. Mike: It literally, it's like one minute you're like, "Yay, it's February," and the next thing you know it's like 4th July. Josh Birk: Right. Yeah. And you have a TDX going over. Mike: All the hangovers. The first thing that I think we want to talk about, so what's crazy is we brought this stuff up, what are we going to talk about, and you're like, "Let's talk about the multi-tenant analogy." And I was thinking back to, whoa, that was like 2010 when I first learned about multi-tenant, and hearing the Salesforce apartment analogy. Josh Birk: Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting. It's actually, I think, a testament to the platform, that you can use it for years and not really understand. And I used to understand not

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Amit Malik, the Content Portfolio Lead for AI within Product Education at Salesforce. Join us as we chat about how admins should approach learning Agentforce and bringing AI to their organizations. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Amit Malik. Learning AI starts with filtering out the noise We often get asked where admins should get started with learning Agentforce, so I brought Amit on the pod to get the inside scoop. In his role as a Content Portfolio Lead for AI in Product Education at Salesforce, he's in charge of planning the courses that are offered globally about Agentforce and Data Cloud. For Amit, the challenge with teaching AI is what he calls the "knowledge explosion." There are so many different things that Agentforce can do, and that list is growing daily, so it's hard to know where to get started. What's needed is "knowledge distillation." So the key to learning Agentforce is to focus on the core concepts of how AI works before getting into the specifics. A framework for building with Agentforce Amit goes through five questions you should ask when you're thinking of building a solution with Agentforce: Is an AI agent the best way to solve this problem? Would it be easier to build a flow? Just because you can solve something with Agentforce doesn't mean you should. What agent type do you need? Salesforce has several pre-built agent templates for specific use cases, like Service Agent, Employee Agent, or Guided Shopping Agents. Consider those options before trying to build something more complicated. What topics do you want to assign to this agent? Define the set of business problems you want your agent to solve. There are standard pre-built topics like FAQ or escalation, but you can make a custom topic if needed. How will you provide data to your agent? AI is only as good as the data you provide it, so you need to make sure you have everything you need in Data Cloud and set up access with the Agentforce Data Library. What actions do you want the agent to perform? "This is where the magic happens," Amit says. There are four types of actions: Flow, Apex, API, and Prompt Template. Learning Agentforce is about understanding the layers you're working with. As Amit explains, an agent is really an aggregation of the topics you decide it can solve. Those topics can be broken down into the specific actions your agent can perform, which it does based on the data you give it access to via Data Cloud. The art of learning is to become curious With twelve years of experience as a Salesforce instructor, Amit's biggest piece of advice for admins trying to learn Agentforce is to cultivate curiosity. Where many people go wrong is that they approach AI as a solution in search of a problem. That can be like trying to jam a square peg in a round hole. Once you start getting curious about the business problems you're trying to solve, you'll find use cases all over the place for AI. But that comes from understanding, specifically, how an AI agent can improve the experience for your users. This makes learning Agentforce simple because you know what you're trying to do with it. There's a lot more great stuff about learning, teaching, and working with Agentforce in my conversation with Amit, so be sure to listen to the full episode. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: Architect Courses for Admins with Amit Malik Trailhead: Discover Agentforce Trailhead: Review Agentforce and Data Library Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Amit on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on Tiktok Mike on X Love our podcasts? Subscribe today or review us on iTunes! Full show transcript Mike Gerholdt: Welcome to the Salesforce Admins Podcast. This week, we're joined by Amit Malik, a cloud content portfolio lead at Salesforce. Guess what we're digging into? That's right. Agentforce and Data Cloud, but we're going to talk a little bit different. It's about how admins can confidently navigate AI in their orgs. Amit brings over a decade of instructional experience and delivers a fresh, clear-eyed framework of thinking about AI agents. Trust me, you're going to want to hear this framework. So whether you're new to Agentforce or looking to level up your implementation game, I promise you, Amit breaks down the essentials with clarity and care for us. Plus, we also talk about why doing not just watching is a key to learning because as admins, we do some instruction as well. So it's good to learn from an instructor. Before we start the show, just a reminder to press follow on that podcast platform that you're listening to us. That way you get new shows right on your mobile device so you