Last week was packed with a ton of firsts.
Dreamforce 2024 was my debut in San Francisco, my first Dreamforce (obviously), my first time cruising in a Waymo, seeing Pink and Imagine Dragons in concert, and witnessing an actual drone show (yep, we’re in the future). It was also my first time speaking at Dreamforce—and let’s not forget my first visit to the Salesforce Tower, where I got to enjoy the breathtaking views from the Ohana floor. You bet I took all the photos. Pro tip: if you ever get an invite to Salesforce Tower, GO. It’s the tallest building in San Francisco, and the views are as spectacular as you’d imagine.
I finally met some of my coworkers in person for the first time, and whoa—turns out people are much taller in real life! Plus, I got to catch up with some former colleagues, and it was a pure delight to finally meet a few amazing clients face-to-face. Oh, and shoutout to all the attendees rocking vibrant hair—let’s just say there’s a secret society of vividly-haired Dreamforce attendees who all acknowledge each other with a knowing nod. It’s a thing. I loved it.
Let’s talk about the robots, shall we? Because, OF COURSE, Dreamforce had adorable robots. One robot dog high-fived me, a cooler-on-wheels gifted me a magazine (with heart eyes—literally), and there were even selfie robots roaming around, though I resisted the urge. No selfies were harmed in the making of this post.
The people are amazing, of course.
On top of all the tech fun, I had the pleasure of meeting Michael (finally!) in person. He and I have been scheming about good UX in Salesforce for a year. I was also fan-girling over meeting the Salesforce design crew: Adam, Hsiao, Caroline, Jenna, and the legendary Kat Holmes herself. (Kat, you’re the Most Supreme Designer of Salesforce. Full stop.) Adam, by the way, I’m seriously considering writing a book about SLDS… but give me a year. I need a break.
And then—worlds collided. I ran into Charles Cranford, one of the founders of the Presentation Guild (I’m one of them too). Full circle moment, people.
As much as I loved meeting everyone and pretending to be a robot whisperer, my favorite part of Dreamforce? Speaking. I got to speak not once but TWICE. I gave a talk in the Redwood Theater on designing for neurodivergent users in the Salesforce ecosystem (using SLDS as a tool, because of course). And I joined a panel hosted by Hike2 on accessible design, which led to meeting Ertay and Mike—two lovely humans I hope to keep in touch with.
Now, let me paint a picture of Thursday morning for you. It’s early. Like “the day after Dreamfest” early. My session is set for the crack of dawn (well, 9 a.m., but post-concert reality is rough). I knew the odds of packing the theater were slim, but a dedicated bunch showed up anyway, and bless them. I was honored.
But here’s the thing—I had 20 minutes. The shortest talk I’ve ever given. Anyone who knows me knows I can talk a lot. I’d rehearsed it about a hundred times, each time clocking in around 19 minutes and 30 seconds to 20 minutes and 15 seconds. Let me tell you, this was a timed dance of ADHD hyperfocus fueled by coffee and Ritalin. And guess what? I didn’t go over time.
Thank you, brain chemistry.
To those who came, you rock. To those who told me afterward that my session was the most valuable of the entire Dreamforce experience? I’m floored. That kind of feedback is everything. (Side note: if you feel that way, kindly pop that into the Dreamforce app, because who knows, maybe they’ll invite me back next year!)
Oh, and for those who were late or couldn’t make it (I get it, Dreamfest hangover), I’ve got you covered. My awesome speaker coach and new friend recorded the whole session, and I’ve got the deck with ALL the speaker notes—just for you. Check it out down below. You might even laugh once or twice. If you ever want to nerd out about accessible design, you know where to find me. (Um, if you don’t… I’m here at Red Argyle. Get in touch with Red Argyle or me on LinkedIn.)
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to find a safe place for my sparkly, very sharp Astro. ✨
The Book
My First Book!
(Forgive the audio, there was a TON of background noise and AI did it’s best.)
The Deck
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