At Salesforce, Nichola Palmer works with customers to bring their stories of innovation and transformation to life. In this blog series featuring Trailblazers, Nichola introduces Joey Chan, a Salesforce MVP and the founder of Cloud Jedi Solutions in the Philippines. Joey used self-guided learning to become a world-class Salesforce Architect, and now he’s helping others to replicate his remarkable journey.
Joey Chan is a natural entrepreneur. As a university student, he dreamed of starting his own business within five years of graduation.
But the budding young developer faced an important decision at the very beginning of his career. He questioned whether to specialise on Salesforce, or on another large platform.
“The problem with the other platform is that, given its complexity, nobody would trust that a 20+ year old knew what they were doing. But with Salesforce, there was so much I could do on my own without having a large team. That started my deep dive into the Salesforce ecosystem.”
Joey threw himself into his Salesforce self-education. He read all the Salesforce related blogs he could find, reviewed the Salesforce documentation, and built his knowledge answering questions from other Salesforce users around the world through the Answers Community.
“I dreamt of becoming world class, so I needed to make sure I really understood the platform,” he says. “I was hungry for knowledge, and one of the places to supplement my learning was the Salesforce community. People from around the world would ask questions about Salesforce, and if I didn’t know the answer, I would research it and find the answer for them.”
The force is with you
Just three months from graduation, Joey began moonlighting on the side with his goal of starting his own business firmly in his sights. Within nine months, he received an offer from a US-based company. They wanted him onboard as their full-time developer — at six-times his current salary. Joey seized the opportunity, left his job at the consulting firm, and then shortly after founded Cloud Jedi Solutions.
“I started getting more US clients based via referrals,” he explains. “It was a gradual progression. I never felt like I needed to market the business, because we had constant work. Part of our success was in making sure that our clients were getting a great return on their investment at each point of the project.”
Cloud Jedi Solutions has become an impressive success story. The company has been the number-one rated developer on Salesforce AppExchange since 2015, and Joey has been recognised as a Salesforce MVP for his deep expertise and leadership of the Trailblazer Community in the Philippines.
Follow the leader
Joey used his skills on Salesforce to forge a path from an ambitious university student to a successful business leader. Now, he wants to help others follow in his footsteps.
He is an active leader of the Trailblazer Community in the Philippines, and is one of the organisers of SEA Dreamin’ — the largest community-led Salesforce event in South East Asia. He also currently hosts the Salesforce MVP Series that brings Salesforce experts to Philippines audiences.
“I believe where I am right now with the company is the result of all the investment in learning I made in the past,” he says. “But that knowledge is not meant to be kept to myself. I believe that it should be open to everyone.”
Joey says self-guided learning on Trailhead gives anyone with an internet connection access to the knowledge required to become successful in Salesforce. However, he advises young developers to find a mentor who can help them focus their learning journey.
“There are literally thousands of badges you can earn on Trailhead, so people new to the Salesforce ecosystem need guidance on the different paths you can follow. Mentors can really help with that,” he explains.
“The most important thing is to be able to build something on your own. It’s a lot easier to follow instructions, but you really bring value to a client when you can identify a problem and solve it with a solution you build in Salesforce.”
Family comes first
Joey is now a dedicated family man, and so is turning to the Trailblazer Community in the Philippines to help grow his team at Cloud Jedi Solutions.
“I can continue to work the same amount as I used to, but that’s going to be at a cost to family time,” he says. “That’s a shift I’m making now, and part of the reason I’m growing my team. I have been privileged to reach a point in my career where I can stop working if I want to.”
This is the kind of freedom Joey says a career as a Salesforce Architect can deliver — if you’re willing to do the hard work.
“You have to be willing to do the hard things. When I started Cloud Jedi, I wasn’t in a corporate setting anymore. I had to set my own standards. I didn’t want to be mediocre. I dreamt of becoming one of the best in the world. That was my mindset.
“I believe that what I’ve gone through is a pathway others can replicate. I think that in the Philippines, there can be a feeling of being stuck — that you have to leave the country in order to better provide for your family. But, with a career in the Salesforce ecosystem, you can do well here without leaving your family.”
