Salesforce architects work directly with customers looking to change their business — to modernize business processes, implement solutions faster, and improve user experience. From every point of the business, they’re helping customers become Trailblazers. Architects help customers launch strong and stay strong — “Salesforce Strong.” But what do our Salesforce architects actually do every day? This Q&A series will help you find out what our top Salesforce architects are doing, thinking — and getting excited about.

Brittany Carey, Senior Principal Business Architect, Salesforce Advisory Services

Q: Hi, Brittany. What’s your background and how did you come to Salesforce?

A: I’ve worn a number of different Salesforce hats in my career. I’ve been a small customer, a large customer, a partner, and now I am experiencing the Ohana as an employee.

In my first job out of college, at a small manufacturing company, the company decided to implement a new CRM product, and just by the fact that I was the youngest person around, I was designated as the most technical. This meant that I was able to drive forward our CRM selection and customization. We selected Salesforce and right away, I was hooked. From there, I worked with a few companies as a Salesforce administrator and project manager, giving me experience in supporting a variety of implementation sizes and org complexities. Eventually I migrated to consulting, ultimately joining Salesforce.

Q: As an architect, what do you like best about working with the Salesforce Lightning Platform?

A: I love seeing a customer’s delight when I can create a custom experience for them on the fly. Their amazement at how fast and easy it is to fit the platform to their needs gives me an immense sense of satisfaction. With the ability to customize quickly, it is so easy to build solutions for my customers. The Salesforce Lightning Platform is also constantly evolving to better support our customers and make it easier to create solutions for their businesses.

Q: What does your day-to-day job look like?

A: My day-to-day varies greatly, depending on the customer. Lately, my days have been filled with facilitating customer workshops. If I'm not in a workshop, my days are a mix of customer meetings and working on a deck (or two) to facilitate future discussions or capture past discussions. If I’m lucky, my day includes some hands-on keyboard work in the platform.

Q: What kind of training do you need to be a successful architect?

A: I turn to Trailhead because I’m always hungry for more platform and release training. New trails are a great way to learn about our newest platform capabilities, such as Einstein and IOT.  Customers expect us to educate them on how they can get the most out of the platform and we need to be up-to-date to do this well.

Q: How do you ensure success for a project?

A: In the beginning of an engagement, I make an effort to listen — a lot. Customers know their problems intimately and more often than not, know the solution as well; they just need some help along the way. Listening allows me to empathize and understand their problems, which helps me earns their trust.Once we build that relationship based on trust, I begin to push customers into uncomfortable spaces, where they make the most productive and foundational changes.

Q: What does “Salesforce Strong” mean to you personally?

A: Salesforce Strong means being passionate about the platform and spreading that passion to our customers, ultimately enabling them to get the most out of their partnership with Salesforce.

Q: Do you volunteer with Salesforce? What’s your chosen cause?

A: One of my favorite volunteering activities is coaching a Special Olympics track and field team during the springtime. It’s a blast and allows me to disconnect from my daily stresses.

Want to join our Salesforce Strong cohort? Check out http://certification.salesforce.com/architectoverview, and register here for more information about how to launch epic Salesforce implementations.