Episode 074 — Why community is essential in Salesforce's AI-forward future

Jack sits down with Denise Carbone, two-decade Salesforce veteran, MVP, co-leader of the Chicago Admin User Group, and Director of Delivery at ImagineCRM. Denise has seen more of this ecosystem than almost anyone. From the pre-Trailhead days of learning through user groups, to the Lightning migration wars, to where we are now with AI reshaping what it means to work in Salesforce. Her perspective is hard-won, warm, and reassuring for anyone feeling uncertain about what comes next. The conversation covers how to build a network with intention rather than just collecting LinkedIn connections, why domain knowledge is a bigger differentiator than most people realise, and why the business analyst mindset (process first, technology second) has never been more valuable than it is right now. Denise shares how her team is actually using AI in delivery work today, closes with a reflection on what corporations can learn from the mission-driven focus of the nonprofit world.