Women’s History Month Spotlight Series: Corrina Cohen

Corrina Cohen is an Award-winning, conference presenting, 2020 Marketing Champion, and Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Developer at Famous Footwear covering Email, Push, and SMS. Corrina is the Denver Salesforce Marketing Cloud User Group Leader, and a great resource for individuals looking to grow in their professional career. Corrina is well regarded for her mentorship, specifically in the Marketing Cloud space, as someone who “never refuses a student's question and with a unique kindness that only [she] has, demos every little step. Student’s really get a chance to step into her mindset and thought process, apply this newly taught skill to their current work situations, and succeed.” We were lucky enough to connect with Corrina 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 the Denver Salesforce Marketing Community Group leader sharing my experience in the digital marketing world and connecting my group members to other thought leaders for the marketing cloud. I also present at industry conferences both Salesforce and ESP agnostic on how we are innovating our marketing programs and what other companies can do to create the same experiences for their customers. I also partner with CU Boulder Leeds School of business educating college students on the more technical roles that are forming to support marketing departments. (I am often the only technical person in an entire marketing department and struggle to hire candidate I can train to replace me some day)

• At Caleres, I am a Marketing Developer where it is my job to ensure our communications (email, SMS, and push) make it out the door without issue. I am also the one who listens to the C-Suite big ideas and figures out how to make it a reality.

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

• Life/work balance as a working mother followed closely by proving my knowledge as a developer sitting in the marketing department. 

Who inspires/inspired you and why?

• The US Women's Soccer team (under-appreciated assembly of badass women), My mom (the first female outside salesperson in her region at her company back in the late 80's and early 90's), the original suffragettes, RBG.

What are some of the characteristics of a good leader?

• Empathy, integrity, patience, accountability, courage, honesty, creativity, and a sense of humor

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

• Don't undervalue yourself - apply for that job even if you don't meet every bullet point, be confident in your abilities and learn how to articulate them, support each other FOR REAL.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

• Professionally it would be when my team won the 2020 Content Marketing Creativity category in the MediaPost EIS Awards for Email Marketing Excellence

• Personally: Raising 2 kids who have their own unique passions and stand up for what they believe in

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

• Exercising either via a hike in the Rockies with my dogs or on my Peloton (I'm training for my first multi day backpacking trip this summer)

Women’s History Month Spotlight Series: Jessica Murphy

Jessica Murphy is a 4x Salesforce MVP, Co-Founder of 100DaysofTrailhead, Founder of East First Consulting and so much more. Jessica is passionate about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and actively speaks on encouraging diverse populations to obtain more technical skills, obtain new professional certifications, network, and advance their careers. A previous colleague of Jessica’s mentions “there are not enough kind words for an amazing person like Jessica. She has a beautiful heart, and it matches her IT talents superbly. She is a fierce advocate for women in tech, and she is relentless in making sure that minorities have a fair chance in the world of tech.” We were lucky enough to connect with Jessica 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 the founder of East First Consulting, an organization focused on training and Salesforce implementations. In the Salesforce community I serve in several roles.

  ○      I am a co-founder of 100DaysofTrailhead

  ○      I am the DEI lead for RAD Women

  ○      I am a co-founder of Phoenix SalesforceSaturday

  ○      I am the co-leader of WITDEVS (Women in Tech Developers)

  ○      I am a co-host of a new WIT clubhouse called TechTeaTime.

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

• Although I am sure that I have experienced inequalities as a woman, these issues have been dwarfed by problems associated with intersectionality. I’ve seen more inequalities related to the fact that I am a Black person. While I have experienced issues like a man attempting to explain for me, I’ve had the experience of white women attempting to take credit for my work or attributing the angry black woman trope to me. I’ve interviewed for a position and was offered 50% of the salary that my white, female counterpart was offered for the same role although I was more qualified because I had a master’s degree and had completed two coding bootcamps. A white woman leader attempted to embarrass me by announcing that I didn’t know workflow at a developer group meeting. However, in a JavaScript workshop, she had no idea where to paste the code that we only needed to copy for the assignment. I have even been told not to start a consultancy because the competition would be too challenging. Thus, the issue seems more related to intersectionality instead of being solely based on being a woman.

Who inspires/inspired you and why?

• I look up to SO many sheroes in and out of the Salesforce ecosystem! If I had to narrow it down to one person, I would probably say Oprah Winfrey. Oprah started from humble beginnings. She built her brand on helping others. Even in the midst of adversity, she chose to rise above. She gives to the community through scholarships, Oprah’s Angel Network and she even built a school. I respect the fact that she leads by example. Her actions match her words. She gives to others and lift other people up.  I hope that I can leave a similar legacy.

What are some of the characteristics of a good leader?

• A good leader:

  ○      Says the right words, but follow them with action

  ○      Cares about others

  ○      Knows that they don’t have to know everything

  ○      Respect’s others because they respect themselves

  ○      Creates other leaders

  ○      Creates a path for others (organizations, members, and communities) to succeed

  ○      Surrounds themselves with individuals who challenge them and make them better

  ○      Inspires others to be the best version of themselves

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

• The advice I would give to our future women leaders is you are enough. Your ideas and abilities are valuable and unique. Your contributions are valuable. Seek out good mentors and others who challenge you.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

• I am my ancestor’s wildest dream. I’ve moved across the country, traveled extensively, completed my graduate degree, graduated summa cum laude, had 2 successful careers, mentored, and helped others change careers, gotten multiple certifications, created and grown several organizations, spoken at conferences and to groups around the world, and have started my own consultancy.

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

• Currently, you will likely find me preparing for our new WIT Clubhouse group, TechTeaTime. Our inaugural event was 3/6/21, and we’ve talked about Women’s History Month as well as Moms in Tech. Follow me on Twitter (@jessicarmurphy) or LinkedIn (in/jessicarmurphy/) where I post our Clubhouse invites.

Women’s History Month Spotlight Series: Tiffany Spencer

Tiffany Spencer is a Salesforce MVP, Co-Leader of the Orlando Salesforce Administrators Group, President of Black Orlando Tech, Founder of HBCUforce, and so much more. Tiffany shows how leading with encouragement can make a world of difference. HBCUforce is an initiative for alumni or supporters of HBCU's that have a career in the Salesforce or Cloud ecosystem and would like to expose students at HBCUs and other minority students to careers in the cloud. Since joining the Salesforce Ecosystem in 2007, Tiffany has led with a vision of a more diverse and inclusive tech workforce. Tiffany is a leader, a mentor, a friend and, most importantly, a voice. We were lucky enough to connect with Tiffany 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?

• In the Community:

  ○      Founder of HBCUforce

  ○      Co-Leader of the Orlando User Group

  ○      On the planning committees for Florida Dreamin and WITness Success

  ○      COO at Esor Consulting Group

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

• The most significant barrier has been me.  I have underestimated myself and when I started to bet on myself things started to change.

Who inspires/inspired you and why?

• My mom inspires me to always keep dreaming and working

• All the people that I train and mentor inspire me to continue to pour into others.

What are some of the characteristics of a good leader?

• Good communication, empathy, transparency, forward-thinking

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

• Invest in yourself. 

What is your proudest accomplishment?

• I'm extremely proud every time someone I train or mentor gets their first Salesforce job and now I'm in a position where I can hire.  I'm extremely proud of that.

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

• At home having breakfast with my husband

If you are looking to learn and grow in the Salesforce ecosystem, check out Tiffany’s Opportunities within the Salesforce Ecosystem recording and follow Tiffany at @TheTiffSpencer.

Women’s History Month Spotlight Series: Andrea Tarrell

Andrea Tarrell is 12X Salesforce Certified, a Salesforce MVP, and CEO of Sercante. At Sercante, Andrea built a strong culture of individuals who make marketing and sales teams wildly successful on the Salesforce platform. Andrea’s former colleagues, and clients can’t say enough great things about Andrea in the Salesforce Ecosystem, and as a leader overall. A Former colleague refers to Andrea as “thoughtful, strategic, and creative in her planning and stays involved in projects without veering into micromanagement territory. She understands her team's capabilities and provides the resources and support needed for the team to be successful...poised, polished, and approachable demeanor.” We were lucky enough to connect with Andrea 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'm the CEO of Sercante (a 40-person consulting firm) and the Founder of The Spot for Pardot.  I've been a part of the Salesforce ecosystem for the last 11 years -- for the first 5 as a client, and for the most recent 6 working in agency and consulting roles.  I'm also a Salesforce MVP and a Marketing Champion.

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

• This is a tricky question.  To answer it completely honestly -- I think I've been my own biggest barrier at many times in my career.   We all carry some degree of fear, self-limiting beliefs, and narratives that don't serve us.  Learning to recognize those and step into your own power is incredibly impactful.

Who inspires/inspired you and why?

• The team at Sercante.  We're on a journey of crazy growth -- and the team steps up to every challenge that comes our way with relentless zeal and commitment to wayfinding.  I'm constantly in awe of what we're able to build together and the way the team "shows up hard" at every juncture.

What are some of the characteristics of a good leader?

• A good leader asks great questions and has an open mind. A true leader believes in abundance, generosity, and looks for mutually beneficial paths to success.

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

• Trust yourself.  You can climb any mountain you want to.  Early on in my journey I used to think there was someone else who knew the "right" answer for the challenges that I faced, and I would look externally to try to find solutions.  The more I learn though, the more I realize that even the people I look up to most are still learning and figuring things out.  Many times no one has the answer, and there's no silver bullet best practice that will guarantee success.  That's simultaneously terrifying and exciting once you embrace that.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

• Hitting $1M the first year Sercante was in business.  I set that as a goal, and somewhat sheepishly told people that was the intention I was working toward.  Saying big goals out loud is hard and scary -- but when you choose to be bold and do it, it's amazing what people and synergies start popping out of the woodwork that help you bring that intention to life.

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

• In bed.  I love to sleep.  It's truly underrated.  It's a rare weekend that I'm out of bed before 11:30 / noonish. 

Women’s History Month Spotlight Series: Melinda Smith

Melinda Smith is 5x Salesforce Certified, a Salesforce MVP, the Co-Host of Two WIT Podcast, on the board of WITness Success conference, and currently a Project Manager for Arkus, Inc. Melinda is someone who is active and present in empowering Women in Technology in any capacity she can, from encouraging someone new in the Salesforce space, to speaking and organizing conferences promoting equality and empowerment. We were lucky enough to connect with Melinda 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 have had many roles in the community.  I started as an observer, so eager to learn and be a part of it all. Soon I started a chapter of Girly Geeks in Southern California that was enveloped by Salesforce and became WIT Groups.  I looooooved this part of my community give back. To sit with smart and inspirational women on a monthly basis filled my soul so so much.  I then co-created Two WIT Podcast and the WITness Success community conference.  When I moved back to Denver I also co (tro-leaders as we called it) led the Denver Admin User group and became a Salesforce MVP.  I LOVE this community more than I can say.  I’ve spoken at Dreamforce approximately 8 times and other community conferences.  I wouldn’t be anywhere close to where I am now without this community.

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

• It's a close tie between money and being taken seriously in a tech role.  Partnering with my bubbly personality, I have often been viewed as ‘not as’ smart as another in my role.  I have been fortunate to have some REALLY amazing leaders in my career that have always been above those 2 barriers….from what I know, I did not get a full download of my male counterparts salary :)

Who inspires/inspired you and why?

• Currently it is a colleague where I am. She is ridiculously smart, incredibly funny, absolute in conversations and knows when to tell you dab on some lavender and get after life vs be gentle with yourself.  She makes me want to try harder in all things.

What are some of the characteristics of a good leader?

• Empathy and listening.  We’re all humans living in this crazy world and who’s going to listen to you if you don't listen to them?  Know when to push, if you know your team/friends you should know when to push them to get out of their own way to be their best.  NO judgement, hear someone out.

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

• It's okay to lead with heart.  You can be strong and empathetic at the same time. Read anything by Brene Brown.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

• During times of the WIT group leadership, WITness Success or the podcast, other women have told me that things I have said or done have resonated with them or helped them.  If I leave this earth doing nothing but making people feel heard and seen...it will have been a life well led.

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

• Here’s where I should say Salesforce Saturday but likely I’m in my home gym enjoying a long workout.