{"id":7453,"date":"2023-05-24T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-24T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2023-05-24T06:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-24T13:00:00","slug":"trailblazer-community-support-sandi-zellner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/stories\/trailblazer-community-support-sandi-zellner\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;They Leave Me Speechless&#8217;: How Salesforce&#8217;s Trailblazer Community Helped One Woman Recover from a Traumatic Brain Injury"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>After a traumatic brain injury, Sandi Nuss Zellner had to transform her life.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>To develop skills for a tech career, she used <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Trailhead<\/em><\/a><em>, Salesforce\u2019s free online learning platform, which features courses on everything from understanding artificial intelligence to mental health.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>For support during that process, Nuss Zellner leaned on Salesforce\u2019s <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/en\/trailblazercommunity\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Trailblazer Community<\/em><\/a><em>, a global network of millions who help each other learn new skills and thrive within the Salesforce ecosystem.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Sandi Nuss Zellner is obsessed with learning and teaching. A music teacher by trade for nearly 20 years, she\u2019s driven by \u201cexercising her brain.\u201d So it was a cruel twist of fate in 2011 when Zellner fell at a Crossfit gym, which revealed an underlying condition that required brain surgery to survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The surgery and its aftermath required Nuss Zellner to overhaul her entire life \u2014 physically, mentally, personally, and professionally. More than a decade later, thanks to hard work and a strong, supportive community that includes Salesforce\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/en\/trailblazercommunity\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trailblazer Community<\/a>, Nuss Zellner is now thriving as an independent Salesforce consultant. But her transformation was anything but independent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-it-was-like-the-person-i-used-to-be-was-dead\">\u201cIt was like the person I used to be was dead\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nuss Zellner\u2019s fall in the gym revealed she had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/chiari-malformation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chiari malformation<\/a>, where the lower part of the brain pushes down into the spinal canal, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/syringomyelia\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20354771\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">syringomyelia<\/a>, when a cyst develops on the spinal cord. Those conditions affected her ability to walk straight, lose feelings in her limbs, and even focus her eyes. Doctors told her she needed to undergo brain surgery immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey think what happened was my brain actually got stuck outside my skull,\u201d recalled Nuss Zellner. \u201cIf I didn\u2019t have surgery within a few weeks, I would have become paralyzed from the neck down and even lose my ability to swallow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"more-from-block more-from-block--2 alignfull wp-block-newsroom-moreontopic\">\n\t<div class=\"more-from-block__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"more-from-block__title\">Related<\/h4>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"more-from-block__cards more-from-block__cards--2\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\n<article\t\t\titemscope=\"\"\n\t\titemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Article\"\n\t\tdata-card-id=\"13355\"\n\t\tclass=\"content-card content-card--large-inline is-entire-area-clickable content-card--is-boxed\"\n\t\t\tdata-clickable-area-link=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/press-releases\/2026\/04\/09\/nmims-salesforce-agentforce-ai-admissions-transformation\/\"\n\t>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content-card__image-container\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/08\/Pay-As-You-Go-Pricing-Makes-it-Easier-than-Ever-to-Get-Started-with-Agentforce.png?w=1024\" class=\"content-card__image\" alt=\"Agents\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/08\/Pay-As-You-Go-Pricing-Makes-it-Easier-than-Ever-to-Get-Started-with-Agentforce.png 1200w, 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class=\"content-card__image-container\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/How-Engine-and-Asymbl-Are-Putting-Slackbot-to-Work.png?w=1024\" class=\"content-card__image\" alt=\"How Engine and Asymbl Use Slackbot\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/How-Engine-and-Asymbl-Are-Putting-Slackbot-to-Work.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/How-Engine-and-Asymbl-Are-Putting-Slackbot-to-Work.png?w=300&amp;h=169 300w, https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/How-Engine-and-Asymbl-Are-Putting-Slackbot-to-Work.png?w=768&amp;h=432 768w, 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https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/How-Engine-and-Asymbl-Are-Putting-Slackbot-to-Work.png?w=343&amp;h=193 343w\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"content-card__content-container content-card__content-container--style-\">\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 itemprop=\"headline\" class=\"content-card__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/stories\/asymbl-engine-slackbot-use-cases\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttarget=\"_blank\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"content-card__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow Engine and Asymbl Are Putting Slackbot to Work\t\t\t\t<\/a>\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div itemprop=\"readTime\" class=\"content-card__read-time\">\n\t\t\t\t4 min read\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n<\/article>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<noscript>\n<div class=\"pagination-fallback\">\n\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7453\/page\/2\/?bc=OTH#section-title\">\n\t\t\tOlder Posts\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/noscript>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>While the surgery saved her life, Nuss Zellner struggled to adapt to her new situation. For six weeks, she could barely get out of bed. By the time she was ready to return to work, her brain could no longer process the sensory overload involved with being a band teacher, so she had to quit teaching music. Losing her career identity quickly spiraled into other aspects of her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNot only was work a part of my identity, but [the loss of my career] affected me as a mother because I felt like I couldn\u2019t take care of my kids,\u201d described Zellner, who has two children. \u201cIt was like the person I used to be was dead and I needed to figure out who this new person was. I was really glad to be alive but everything I knew was gone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nuss Zellner struggled to find help and depression set in.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere was a lot of denial. I tried to put on a brave face and ignore what was happening inside me. It took an incident to recognize I needed the help of friends, family, therapy, medical professionals, and medication. I needed to allow myself to grieve and recognize it\u2019s okay to need help, accept help, and ask for help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She ended up being diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety due to chronic illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-66036\" data-id=\"66036\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/12\/IMG_0317-1.jpg?w=986\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Sandi Nuss Zellner was a music teacher for more than 20 years<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-66037\" data-id=\"66037\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/12\/2018-05-15_05-55-08.jpg?w=1024\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Sandi Nuss Zellner was awarded with a Golden Hoodie at World Tour NYC.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-66038\" data-id=\"66038\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/12\/IMG_20190515_232357.jpg?w=1024\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Sandi Nuss Zellner with fellow Salesforce Trailblazers<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Moving forward with a mission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>During this time, Nuss Zellner also moved from Pennsylvania to New Jersey. While she wasn\u2019t able to teach, she still craved being around music and began volunteering with <a href=\"https:\/\/musicwill.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Music Will<\/a>, a nonprofit committed to bringing music education to underserved children. As it so happened, Music Will used Salesforce to manage their operations and one day, Nuss Zellner was asked to help with data entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI had zero tech skills, but using Salesforce was something quiet I could do that still felt impactful to the mission,\u201d said Nuss Zellner. \u201cI was really excited to find there was this tool out there I could work on. I started to feel hope for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Nuss Zellner\u2019s interest in Salesforce grew, a mentor at the nonprofit suggested she attend \u201ca little software conference\u201d in San Francisco to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLittle did I know going to Dreamforce in 2014 would change my life. I was introduced to <a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/en\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trailhead<\/a> \u2014 Salesforce\u2019s free online learning platform \u2014 where I could follow a path of learning and get a cool badge after completing a course. At the time, I was in a mental vacuum and for the very first time, there was light at the end of the tunnel when it came to a new career for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>At the time, I was in a mental vacuum and for the very first time, there was light at the end of the tunnel when it came to a new career for me.<\/p>\n<cite>Sandi Nuss Zellner, Salesforce Trailblazer, Locke Nuss Consulting<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Forging new trails<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nuss Zellner fully committed herself to finding her new career through <a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/en\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trailhead<\/a>. The platform\u2019s gamified experience was a perfect match for her thirst for knowledge and she was soon learning the skills needed for jobs in the Salesforce ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTrailhead truly has been instrumental in my career development. It&#8217;s the foundation that has allowed me to balance my curiosity of how things work with actual knowledge and hands-on experiences. I know this sounds corny but Trailhead has been life rebuilding. It&#8217;s been very powerful for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>I know this sounds corny but Trailhead has been life rebuilding. It&#8217;s been very powerful for me.<\/p>\n<cite>Sandi Nuss Zellner, Salesforce Trailblazer, Locke Nuss Consulting<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Trailhead is more than just a learning platform; it\u2019s a driving force behind remarkable transformations,&#8221; said Kris Lande, SVP of Marketing, Community, &amp; Content at Salesforce. \u201cSeeing the incredible journeys of individuals like Sandi Nuss Zellner as they overcome obstacles and embrace digital skills reminds us of our mission to empower people from all backgrounds to forge dynamic careers in tech.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vidyard wp-block-embed-vidyard\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/play.vidyard.com\/r6iDdeZFG9byKm7jr5gbfr\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mental health awareness tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For Nuss Zellner, Trailhead\u2019s impact went far beyond professional \u2014 it also became deeply personal. The combination of the learning platform and <a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/trailblazercommunity\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Trailblazer Community<\/a> gave her the tools she needed to address her mental health.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTrailhead gives you access to <a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/content\/learn\/modules\/mental-health-matters\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">mental health information<\/a> and some concrete steps to move forward, while providing a community who know how it feels, that it&#8217;s okay to talk about, and want to listen to you,\u201d an emotional Nuss Zellner said through tears.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She also explained how they helped in her darkest hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Trailblazer Community got me through really hard times. They\u2019re a collection of people I know I can turn to when I don\u2019t know the answer. If I took a trip and wanted to have coffee with someone, I could go online and connect with different groups from all over the world, and even meet up in person. Pose a question in the community feed, someone will be there for you. They leave me speechless sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The Trailblazer Community got me through really hard times. They\u2019re a collection of people I know I can turn to when I don\u2019t know the answer.<\/p>\n<cite>Sandi Nuss Zellner, Salesforce Trailblazer, Locke Nuss Consulting<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI and the next Trailhead frontier<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nuss Zellner has since become someone that other Trailblazers seek out for help. Currently an independent Salesforce consultant helping businesses reach their goals, Nuss Zellner continues to use <a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/en\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trailhead<\/a> to stay informed on the latest trends and technology, including artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m already seeing how AI can affect my daily work, from translating and summarizing client meetings or checking code. It can really help speed up processing time so we can focus on the human aspects of our jobs,\u201d said Nuss Zellner.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been using Trailhead to skill up on the basics of how AI works, what are natural language models, and how to use AI ethically and responsibly. If we\u2019re using an AI tool, we need to understand how it works and how to securely handle company data with it. Trailhead helps me understand the questions I need to consider before I jump straight into using AI.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>If we\u2019re using an AI tool, we need to understand how it works and how to securely handle company data with it. Trailhead helps me understand the questions I need to consider before I jump straight into using AI.<\/p>\n<cite>Sandi Nuss Zellner, Salesforce Trailblazer, Locke Nuss Consulting<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Thinking of her emotional and physical trauma, Nuss Zellner never would\u2019ve expected she\u2019d now be discussing pre-trained generative transformers and CRM, but as she\u2019s quick to point out \u2014 sometimes the destination is the trail itself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere are so many things that are possible if you allow yourself some grace. Take a chance to understand what\u2019s out there and don\u2019t be in a rush. Things don\u2019t always happen right away but if you take it one day at a time and keep going, you can make it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><em>Learn more about the Trailblazer Community <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/en\/trailblazercommunity\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>here<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sandi Nuss Zellner is obsessed with learning and teaching. A music teacher by trade for nearly 20 years, she\u2019s driven by \u201cexercising her brain.\u201d So it was a cruel twist of fate in 2011 when Zellner fell at a Crossfit gym, which revealed an underlying condition that required brain surgery to survive. The surgery and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":315,"featured_media":7454,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sf_subhead":"","sf_i18n_disclaimer":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"alternateThumbnailId":0,"sf_product_cta_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"sf_content_type":[1195],"sf_theme":[],"sf_topic":[1117],"sf_product":[1107],"sf_industry":[],"sf_role":[],"sf_multimedia_asset":[],"sf_location":[1094],"sf_collection":[1182],"sf_visibility":[],"coauthors":[1226],"class_list":["post-7453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","sf_content_type-feature-stories","sf_topic-modern-work","sf_product-trailhead","sf_location-global","sf_collection-biggest-news-of-the-month"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>&#039;They Leave Me Speechless&#039;: How Salesforce&#039;s Trailblazer Community Helped One Woman Recover from a Traumatic Brain Injury - Salesforce<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/stories\/trailblazer-community-support-sandi-zellner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&#039;They Leave Me Speechless&#039;: How Salesforce&#039;s Trailblazer Community Helped One Woman Recover from a Traumatic Brain Injury\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sandi Nuss Zellner is obsessed with learning and teaching. 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