Geraldine Gray is the CEO of Endiem, a Salesforce practice based in Houston. Endiem works with organizations to align their strategic goals with their Salesforce options alongside their other cloud products and services (AWS, ERP, etc). Geraldine is a 9x Dreamforce Speaker, and has been a Salesforce MVP since 2011. An expert in the Salesforce Ecosystem refers to Geraldine and Endiem as “the definition of a customer company. [Geraldine’s] professionalism, engaging personality and dedication to customer success keeps her at the top of my list for Salesforce partners. She has an innate ability to command a room and can speak effectively to all levels of management.” We were lucky enough to connect with Geraldine briefly over her time in the Salesforce Community, and as a female leader:

Can you tell me a bit about what you do in the Salesforce Community and what your role is?

I am a huge champion of the power of business communities and the impact they have in building careers. The Salesforce Community is a fantastic example of this, and I feel very proud to have taken my place as an MVP for the last 10 years. Before I was an MVP, however, rewind all the way to 2010, and I was already blazing the trail for female tech networks as the founder of Salesforce’s Girly Geeks (now the global community, Salesforce Women In Tech).

As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?

Even though I have 20 years' of Salesforce experience and have grown a multi-million-dollar, self-funded business, I often look around the room while on projects and wonder when I am going to be uncovered as not smart enough. My bravado covers up my wonder at being where I am today. My advice to women just starting their careers is to realize that you don't need to be 100% perfect, no one else is, so don't let that be a barrier to advancement in your career. Work hard, have courage and be nice to people.

Who inspires/inspired you and why?

Our incredible customers at Endiem inspire me every day. I was lucky enough to work with Dulce Borjas, CIO of ENGIE North America for a couple of years - she has a magical way of getting the best out of her team while giving them encouragement, responsibilities, and her time. She’s always ready with a smile or joke and she’s never intimidated by being the only woman in the room.

What are some of the characteristics of a good leader?

Taking Dulce Borjas as an example of a great leader, and my view is that listening, giving encouragement, having high expectations, giving responsibility, and being brave are all important in the leadership toolkit. Beyond that, I would also say, be fun, be authentic and be generous.

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

All of the above! And when you take on leadership, be generous about bringing up the next generation right behind you.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

Self-funded from Day One, I am proud that I have grown Endiem from a one-woman-at-her desk to the largest independent Salesforce Consulting Partner in Houston. I am also very proud that 90% of Endiem’s customers are direct referrals from existing customers who stay loyal because my team continues to do good work.
Of course, I am also very proud to have survived being a new mom to twins, and now have two confident, happy, and (usually) polite 5-year-olds to show for it.

Where will we find you on a Saturday morning at 10 a.m.?

We're either lounging around in our PJs eating cereal and watching too much TV or the complete opposite. The children LOVE to be outside either running wild at the park; on an adventure that involves muddy puddles and knee-deep running water; or, zooming up and down the running trail on their scooters negotiating ice cream for (second) breakfast!