Feb 14, 2018 By Sofia Rodriguez Mata

Inside the Trailblazer Community: What's Love Got to Do with It

in Careers

Valentine's Day is celebrated in dozens of countries around the world with each one adding an unique flair to their celebrations. Whether it's couples enjoying a romantic candle-lit dinner, kids passing out candy hearts to their classmates, or an a cappella group reuniting to put on a show, it rings true that at the heart of this commercialized holiday is our need to form relationships.

With millions of members in the Trailblazer Community and thousands new members joining every month, it's no surprise that the Trailblazer Community fosters collaboration and learning. But it has also become a great place for Trailblazers to make great friends. I asked the Trailblazer Community to share some of their friendship stories in a recent Twitter post. We had a ton of fun seeing the stories of how they met, and how much love abounds in the lasting relationships they've formed. Check out some of the awesome responses in the original tweet thread, enjoy some highlights here, and don't forget to connect and share your stories!

Community Groups Are Made for Making Friends

700+ Community Groups in over 80 countries help Trailblazers meet peers in their region, role, industry, and even special interests.

In Australia, Vickie Jefferey (Community Group Leader) and Emily Hay (Community Group Leader) met at the Brisbane Community Group meeting, while Emily Hay invited Rebecca Aichholzer to become a co-leader for her group after she noticed she had been a frequent attendee. In the United States, after being convinced by a friend to attend the New York City Women in Tech Community Group meeting, Selina Suarez (Salesforce Employee, PepUpTech Founder) met Cheryl Feldman (Salesforce MVP) and they became quick friends. Even when meeting up in person wasn't an option, virtual Community Groups helped Stacey Cogswell (Community Leader) and Cheryl Feldman meet, and eventually, celebrate their birthday together at Dreamforce!

Though one-on-one friendships are pretty common, sometimes groups of friends quickly form, like in Phoenix, Arizona. Marisa Hambleton (Community Group Leader) recalls meeting her Phoenix partners through various Community Groups where they were able to brainstorm and set the foundation for a thriving community. And sometimes, the friendships that stem from Community Groups go so far as to creating their own t-shirts to show off their swagger!

Collaboration Groups

There are 2,000+ Collaboration Groups on the Trailblazer Community. One great example is Flyin' Solo, which helps customers with the opportunity to make friends prior to Dreamforce. Misty Jones (Salesforce MVP) started the Flyin' Solo group and credits many of her friendships to this group.

Giving Back Unites Us

Giving back -- a strong shared value in the Salesforce Ohana -- is how many of the greatest Trailblazer Community friendships begin.

Trailblazer Community members and leaders are driven to help others blaze trails with Salesforce, whether they are just beginning or tackling a new milestone, like getting certified. This is perhaps the greatest show of the love, and unifying force in the Salesforce Ohana.

Take Lara Black's (Community Group Leader) and Stuart Edeal's (Salesforce MVP) stories, which started with study groups, where Trailblazers come together to help each other get ready for certification exams. They both got certified, landed great jobs, and formed amazing lasting friendships with their study buddies!

This Valentine's Day, we encourage you to find some new friendships on the Trailblazer Community. We hope you embrace Eric Dreshfield's (Salesforce MVP) mindset and think of the Trailblazer Community as a global Ohana ready to help you thrive with Salesforce.