2022 in a nutshell

2022 was a pretty good year for JTS! I worked hard, added a new certification, bringing that total to 6, built some new integrations and some cool new features for some of you. I have between 6 & 11 “active” clients, depending upon how you count, including 2 in Real Estate, 2 loan/financing, 1 in construction & service, a recycling company, and even a non-profit running a call center. This is plenty to keep me busy, so I’m not necessarily looking to add any new customers or projects, but I’m always happy when y’all refer me to other people you know who might need Salesforce help, so don’t keep me a secret!

I also took time to visit some of you that I’d never met in-person before. I’d wanted to do this earlier, but the pandemic interfered. Now that things have calmed down a bit, it seemed like a good time. Travel may seem superfluous these days, and maybe I’m a little old-school, but I do see a benefit in actually shaking hands and having a face-to-face conversation. If I didn’t get to you, and you would like to have an onsite meeting, or just go to lunch, let me know. I don’t mind getting on a plane or taking a road trip. If you’re close enough to Atlanta, I might even bring my new (used) Harley.

(I had a clunky, old motorcycle before, but this one actually runs reliably!)

In addition to honest-to-goodness work for my awesome clients, I also did a good bit of volunteering this year. I worked with the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Malachi’s Storehouse, MUST Ministries, Atlanta Humane Society, and helped with IT stuff at my church. (Shout out to my wife, Amanda, who does all of these charity events with me.) And although 1% seems like such a small amount, JTS also continues to be a member of Pledge 1%, because I agree with their drive to entrench charity in the core of corporate structure.

Looking into next year, I plan to continue with volunteer opportunities around my area, although I don’t have anything scheduled yet, but I plan to continue supporting local charities that I know help people when they need it. I’m always open to suggestions, as well, so if there’s a charity you know about that could use some help, please let me know.

Turning back to the professional side of things, I’m looking to continue to offer excellent service to my existing customers, focusing primarily on the long-term “care and feeding” of your existing Salesforce org, but without shying away from new functionality or even new implementations. While I do use some contractor help from time to time, I’m not looking to expand the practice beyond myself or pursue any services besides Salesforce. I’m looking at more new Certifications (maybe Service Cloud next), as well as the new-ish “Accredited Professoinal” certifications from the Salesforce partner program. If there are any particular skills you’d like to see me grow, please let me know.

On a more personal level, like a lot of people, I have been trying to find ways to spend less time sitting at my desk. I try to make time to walk my beloved dogs every day ,
but I don’t always make it. I've also improved my backyard, so I have some place other than my desk where I can sit and work, have meetings, or just enjoy the fresh air when it's nice out. I’m also starting to look for cafes, breweries, etc, where I can get out of the house and still be productive and available. So if you hear birds chirping or voices in the background and it’s distracting, I apologize. Please let me know and I’ll change my approach. My goal isn’t exactly to work less, or to slack off more. It’s just to be happier, more connected to the world outside my house, and more productive, which will turn into better support and progress for you, my wonderful clients. If there’s anything I can do to serve you better, please let me know.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for being a rock star JTS customer! I wish you all tremendous success in 2023. Please don’t hesitate to tell me what I can do to better serve you.