Dorian Earl is a Trailblazer

From Sales Rep to Salesforce Advocate

Dorian Earl began his career as a medical and dental supply sales representative, selling everything from gloves to masks. He quickly learned the importance of building strong relationships with prospects and clients, but while his peers relied on manual planners and Rolodexes to manage their deals, accounts, and contacts, Dorian struggled. He knew there had to be a more efficient, digital way to manage client relationships and streamline sales operations. Though aware of CRMs, he hadn’t explored their potential — until one pivotal moment changed everything.

Lost Planner, Found Career

On a bitterly cold Chicago winter day, Dorian inadvertently left his portfolio planner — containing nearly $80,000 in pipeline data — on the roof of his car. Watching it scatter across the interstate, he realized how detrimental outdated tools could be to his business. Restricted from installing software on his work laptop, Dorian discovered Salesforce, the only web-based CRM available at the time. After purchasing a single subscription for himself, he transformed his workflow. Dorian used it to seamlessly track his accounts, relying on it as the system of record and grew his book of business that he would take with him into the next phase of his career.

Pivoting from Sales to Consulting

Dorian left sales behind, and turned his passion for Salesforce into a new career path as a freelancing Salesforce consultant. He leveraged his expertise to help other firms go to market, while emphasizing the benefits that a good CRM can bring. Dorian began this new chapter by assessing his first client’s Sales Cloud implementation, which grew from a 60-day engagement into a seven-month project. By aligning their sales and marketing processes, Dorian demonstrated the platform’s power to drive growth. Inspired by this success, Dorian used the experience to become Salesforce certified and secure a role as a full-time Sales Analyst and Salesforce Administrator while still helping SMB Sales teams part time. Since then, Dorian has gone on to launch his own consulting firm, where he has made a career out of helping organizations optimize their processes with Salesforce.

Driving AI-Powered Business Transformation

Today, Dorian continues to lead his consulting firm, dedicating himself to helping companies optimize their Salesforce orgs and prepare for cutting-edge technologies like Agentforce. He helps his clients focus on AI preparedness, ensuring strong data foundations while identifying quick AI wins that deliver immediate value, such as AI-powered record summaries, automated reporting, and prospect nurturing. Dorian also advises clients on streamlining workflows, simplifying tasks like returns and case management, and helps them outline the creation of AI agents to handle their email outreach and scheduling, allowing teams to focus on high-priority interactions. With his expertise, Dorian equips admin teams to guide their organizations confidently into an AI-driven future.

In my experience, the leap from using paper planners to Salesforce was monumental. This next big shift with Agentforce, driven by AI, will be just as transformative.

Dorian Earl
CEO, Development Consulting Partners

Mentoring the Next Generation of Trailblazers

While helping businesses navigate technological transformations, Dorian also dedicates time to empowering the next generation of Trailblazers through mentorship. Beyond consulting, Dorian is active in the Trailblazer Community by providing mentorship to Trailblazers who are just getting started in the ecosystem. He has helped dozens of newcomers launch their careers and prides himself on being a connector of people. For Dorian, Salesforce is more than a tool — it’s the foundation of a career built on innovation, adaptability, and the drive to empower others. His journey showcases how technology can transform challenges into opportunities, proving that one decision — adopting Salesforce two decades ago — can pave the way for a lifetime of success.