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Kickstart Your Career With Mentorship Speed Friending

This is just the beginning of something big.

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Melissa Hill Dees

Pollinator. Speaker. Author.

Salesforce MVP

Co-Founder and CEO of Nonprofit Dreamin

13 Salesforce Certifications

MBA, Digital Entrepreneurship

BOD, Partyblazers

Advocate of #WIT and #EqualityforAll

“Hi everyone, welcome. My name is Melissa. I work as a Salesforce UX designer and automation innovator, particularly with nonprofit organizations. I’ve been truly involved in the #trailblazercommunity since 2016 although I “discovered” Salesforce in 2008. I started as a career-shifter, knowing enough to be dangerous and having limited self-confidence. But, thanks to all the amazing Trailblazers around me, I have learned, and continue to learn, SO much. My career has grown in ways I never imagined. And, today, I am continuing to reinvent my own dream come true: helping nonprofits leverage technology to increase their impact.

Countless trailblazers have spent untold hours teaching me, encouraging me, and lending a hand in my success. Now I try to repay those kindnesses by doing the same for others.”

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Today’s Goals

Meet people.
See if you find a shared interest or new idea worth exploring later.
If so, exchange contact details.

“So, what are we doing today?

The goal is simple:

Meet people.
See if you find a shared interest or new idea worth exploring later.
If so, exchange contact details.

We are not doing real mentoring right now. Not solving your certification problem. Not fixing your CV. Just first impressions. Just connection.

From my experience as a mentor and mentee, mentoring truly increases confidence, skills, and opens up many new doors. Your careers may grow faster because someone simply says: Hey, I can support you. ��“Before we start, I want to set a few expectations.

Nothing here is binding. You choose if you want to continue the conversation later — or not.
You can meet again today at the event, or virtually next week, or never. It’s all your choice.
The outcome can be:

one 30-minute follow-up
a longer mentorship
or no match — all are OK.

If you’re new and unsure if you can be a mentor, try it. Many insights come from your lived experience.
This is a safe space. No silly questions. No pressure.
Also: Don’t look only for mentors. Peer conversations can be just as powerful.
We don’t know the number of mentors and mentees today. So we will adapt. You might not meet everyone, and that’s fine. This is just a starting point.

If at any moment you want to step aside or take a break, feel free. And I am here to help, come talk to me.”

“Before we start, I want to set a few expectations.

Nothing here is binding. You choose if you want to continue the conversation later — or not.
You can meet again today at the event, or virtually next week, or never. It’s all your choice.
The outcome can be:

one 30-minute follow-up
a longer mentorship
or no match — all are OK.

If you’re new and unsure if you can be a mentor, try it. Many insights come from your lived experience.
This is a safe space. No silly questions. No pressure.
Also: Don’t look only for mentors. Peer conversations can be just as powerful.
We don’t know the number of mentors and mentees today. So we will adapt. You might not meet everyone, and that’s fine. This is just a starting point.

If at any moment you want to step aside or take a break, feel free. And I am here to help, come talk to me.”

“Before we start, I want to set a few expectations.

Nothing here is binding. You choose if you want to continue the conversation later — or not.
You can meet again today at the event, or virtually next week, or never. It’s all your choice.
The outcome can be:

one 30-minute follow-up
a longer mentorship
or no match — all are OK.

If you’re new and unsure if you can be a mentor, try it. Many insights come from your lived experience.
This is a safe space. No silly questions. No pressure.
Also: Don’t look only for mentors. Peer conversations can be just as powerful.
We don’t know the number of mentors and mentees today. So we will adapt. You might not meet everyone, and that’s fine. This is just a starting point.

If at any moment you want to step aside or take a break, feel free. And I am here to help, come talk to me.”

Before we start, I want to set a few expectations.

Nothing here is binding. You choose if you want to continue the conversation later — or not.
You can meet again today at the event, or virtually next week, or never. It’s all your choice.
The outcome can be:

one 30-minute follow-up
a longer mentorship
or no match — all are OK.

If you’re new and unsure if you can be a mentor, try it. Many insights come from your lived experience.
This is a safe space. No silly questions. No pressure.
Also: Don’t look only for mentors. Peer conversations can be just as powerful.
We don’t know the number of mentors and mentees today. So we will adapt. You might not meet everyone, and that’s fine. This is just a starting point.

If at any moment you want to step aside or take a break, feel free. And I am here to help, come talk to me.

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Here’s the warmup!

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Front

Back

Left

Right

How do you self-identify?

Remember: there are no wrong answers.

Admin

Architect

Designers, BAs, UX, et al

Dev

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Front

Back

Left

Right

How long have you worked in Salesforce?

Remember: there are no wrong answers.

Brand new

5-10 years

More than 10 years

1-5 years

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Front

Back

Left

Right

How do you work in the Salesforce ecosystem?

Remember: there are no wrong answers.

Salesforce customer

Consulting Company

Salesforce Employee

App Eachange company

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Front

Back

Left

Right

Which mascot is your favorite?

Remember: there are no wrong answers.

Consulting Company

Salesforce Employee

App Eachange company

“Before we start, a few quick rules:

Have a simple, human conversation. Explore shared experiences and potential synergies. Use the suggested talking points if you get stuck.
Try to be brief and get to the point fast. 3 minutes is not long. When you hear the buzzer, please move to the next spot immediately so that everyone can get the most out of this time.
During each round, please scan the badge of the person you speak with — all of them. This makes it really easy. No decisions now, no pressure. Later, at the end, you’ll have quiet time to choose who you want to follow up with.
If scanning doesn’t work for some reason, no problem — just take a quick photo of the other person’s badge, and you can connect later.
And most important — enjoy it. This is meant to be fun.”

Any last-minute questions?

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Question

Why did you choose this character as your favorite?

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Question

What is your goal to accomplish in the next six months?

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Question

What’s the last thing you did that was brave?

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Question

Craft nerd, people nerd, or business nerd: how would your team describe you?

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Question

If you had a magic wand, what would you rid the world of?

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Thank you!