Before Adnan Chaudhry, now Salesforce's Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales, joined the company as an Account Executive, he had a number of transformative experiences that shaped his unique career journey. Today, Adnan takes us through those experiences — starting with his childhood. Here's his story:

We each have our own journey in life. Today I'm Salesforce's SVP of Commercial Sales, but my life began in Pakistan, where I was born, the youngest of nine children. My family immigrated to the United States when I was nine. If you told me back then that I would grow up to have a career in sales, I’m not sure how I would have reacted.

Without a formal education before arriving in the US, my father and four brothers sold cars for a living, which didn't always give me a positive view of sales. I admired their dedication and values, but I also wanted more. I wanted to escape car lots and pursue a college education – and I got it, working full-time to pay my way through the local community college in Salt Lake City where I grew up. I then attended the University of Utah where I received my Bachelor’s Degree and eventually received an MBA from Stanford.

Then something funny happened. In business school, I met people who helped me see sales in a new light: as the lifeblood of a company. I finally learned what I'd always seen in my family, but never made my own: sales is a noble profession.

At Salesforce we believe that business is the greatest platform for change. Our customers are on a unique journey of their own. Their success is our success, and that all flows through sales. We help our customers grow, and at the same time, our customers fuel our growth and innovation.

When I first joined, after years in investment banking and private equity, I didn't have the sales and tech expertise I needed to tackle some of these customer challenges. But Salesforce supported me every step of the way, committed to me as a person, and to the growth of my career.

Salesforce showed me that a career in sales can be an opportunity to see the world in a new way. Every day you’re solving business challenges and helping the world's most innovative brands. You collaborate on a global scale, exploring different regions, industries, companies, and technologies. You get to be part of how Salesforce is fueling its historic growth -- and help make your mark on our path to be a $20B company.

It’s a special time to be a part of the sales team at Salesforce. And here are just a few reasons why I love working here:

• We know that the best and most productive way to achieve our own goals is to invest in our people, giving them huge opportunities for growth and advancement.

• We believe in what we sell and use our own tools daily to do our jobs.

• We pioneered the “1-1-1 Model of Integrated Philanthropy” — our sales teams regularly volunteer together, giving back to the communities in which we live and work.

• When you close deals and surpass quotas, everyone knows about it. You'll always be recognized for your hard work. That's one of the reasons why we host a “President’s Club” event for the top performers in the sales team every year — an opportunity to thank them for their hard work and also promote our unique culture of sales excellence.

Come see for yourself. I’m always looking for people with strong business acumen, intellectual curiosity, and a good amount of grit. If you can bring those qualities to us, we can bring everything else to you. There is no better time than now to join the Salesforce sales team.

We all have our own personal story and career trajectory. Mine has brought me, in a sense, back to the family business of sales – at one of the most innovative companies in the world. At Salesforce we call our workforce the Ohana, a Hawaiian word for family.

Where is your career path leading you?