{"id":8774,"date":"2024-03-05T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-05T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=8774"},"modified":"2024-04-30T13:59:43","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T13:59:43","slug":"gordon-lee-trailblazer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/stories\/gordon-lee-trailblazer\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Growing up&#8217; with Trailhead: An Early Trailblazer&#8217;s Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Born in San Francisco and a first-generation Chinese American, Gordon Lee took a chance on a job as a Salesforce Admin \u2014 and has never looked back&nbsp;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Since joining the Salesforce ecosystem in 2007, Lee has tapped <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/?_ga=2.48880102.1775762850.1708373985-1161280812.1695130709\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Trailhead<\/em><\/a><em> to sharpen both his technical and soft skills<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Today, Lee helps nonprofit organizations thrive in the age of AI and digitization&nbsp;<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/trailblazer\/salesforceglee\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gordon Lee<\/a> has spent the last two decades transforming his life and career in the Salesforce ecosystem.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that almost didn\u2019t happen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfulfilled in his role as a financial underwriter, in 2007, Lee saw an internal job post seeking a <a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/en\/career-path\/admin\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Salesforce Administrator<\/a>. Despite his interest, self-doubt made Lee think the position was too technical for his skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when the post was still there six months later, he made the leap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"contextual-driver has-text-align-left contextual-driver--einstein\">\n\t<header class=\"tidbit-header\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"tidbit-head\">\n\t\t\tSkill up for the age of AI\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<\/header>\n\t<div class=\"tidbit-body\">\n\t\t<p><\/p>\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"tidbit-link label\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"label has-right-arrow has-right-arrow--small\" href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t<span>Join the Trailblazer Community<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 10\">\n\t<path d=\"M13.92 5.38a1 1 0 000-.76.9.9 0 00-.17-.26.25.25 0 000-.07l-4-4a1 1 0 00-1.46 1.42L10.59 4H1.07a1 1 0 000 2h9.52l-2.3 2.29a1 1 0 000 1.42 1 1 0 001.42 0l4-4a.25.25 0 000-.07.9.9 0 00.21-.26z\" \/>\n<\/svg>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<img class=\"tidbit img-einstein\"\n\t\tsrcset=\"\n\t\t\thttps:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/themes\/newsroom\/assets\/images\/article-tidbit-einstein-large@0.5x.png 84w,\n\t\t\thttps:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/themes\/newsroom\/assets\/images\/article-tidbit-einstein-large@1x.png 168w,\n\t\t\thttps:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/themes\/newsroom\/assets\/images\/article-tidbit-einstein-large@2x.png 336w\n\t\t\"\n\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/themes\/newsroom\/assets\/images\/article-tidbit-einstein-large@1x.png\"\n\t\talt=\"Illustration of einstein\"\n\t\tsizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 175px, 130px\"\n\t>\n\t<\/aside>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-leap-of-faith-nbsp\"><strong>A leap of faith&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lee, a first-generation Chinese American who was born in San Francisco, graduated from the University of California, Davis, just after the early 2000s dot-com boom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time, his peers were landing technology jobs at exciting, high-tech companies. Lee, however, didn\u2019t even apply, since he had struggled with most of his programming classes in college, and felt his lack of coding and technical skills would disqualify him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, he landed his first gig at a Bay Area financial services company. Lee\u2019s innate curiosity and resourcefulness guided him in those early years, and he progressed in roles ranging from sales to underwriting. Despite landing on a solid career, Lee missed being creative and solving puzzles \u2014 the things he most enjoyed while building LEGO blocks as a child. So when he stumbled upon the Salesforce Admin job, he was intrigued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>So when he stumbled upon the Salesforce Admin job, he was intrigued.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Learning that the job was a combination of data operations and project management, Lee realized that with the right training and resources, he could make the leap into tech and change the trajectory of his career.<\/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=\"13399\"\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\/20\/dairy-day-ice-cream-powers-its-next-phase-of-growth-with-salesforce\/\"\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=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/Dairy-Day-Logo_PNG-1.png?w=1024\" class=\"content-card__image\" alt=\"DairyDay logo\" 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\/Dairy-Day-Logo_PNG-1.png 3908w, https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/Dairy-Day-Logo_PNG-1.png?w=150&amp;h=150 150w, 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Growth\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\t3 min read\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n<article\t\t\titemscope=\"\"\n\t\titemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Article\"\n\t\tdata-card-id=\"13365\"\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\/14\/inmobi-salesforce-ai-advertising-growth\/\"\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\/2024\/07\/UTI-Asset-Management-Company-Limited-collaborates-with-SalesforceIndia-Newsroom-only.png?w=1024\" class=\"content-card__image\" alt=\"collaboration\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/07\/UTI-Asset-Management-Company-Limited-collaborates-with-SalesforceIndia-Newsroom-only.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/07\/UTI-Asset-Management-Company-Limited-collaborates-with-SalesforceIndia-Newsroom-only.png?w=300&amp;h=169 300w, https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/07\/UTI-Asset-Management-Company-Limited-collaborates-with-SalesforceIndia-Newsroom-only.png?w=768&amp;h=432 768w, https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/07\/UTI-Asset-Management-Company-Limited-collaborates-with-SalesforceIndia-Newsroom-only.png?w=1024&amp;h=576 1024w, 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https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/07\/UTI-Asset-Management-Company-Limited-collaborates-with-SalesforceIndia-Newsroom-only.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\/press-releases\/2026\/04\/14\/inmobi-salesforce-ai-advertising-growth\/\"\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\tSalesforce Deepens Collaboration with InMobi to accelerate AI-Driven Growth Across Its Global Advertising Ecosystem\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\t3 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\/8774\/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<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-launch-of-trailhead-a-game-changer\"><strong>The launch of Trailhead\u2026 \u201ca game changer\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>He got the job, and dove right into his new role. Early on, though, Lee encountered challenges as he grappled with complex concepts and technical intricacies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAt first, I was pretty overwhelmed. It felt like learning a new language, especially after nearly failing my programming courses in college,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With no mentor to guide him and finding it difficult to find online communities of Salesforce professionals, Lee had to find a way to skill up on his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While he was able to make it work, Lee always wondered if he could have saved himself time and trouble with the right training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2014, Salesforce launched <a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/?_ga=2.44110944.553411055.1708362200-1215904705.1696347641\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trailhead<\/a>, its free online learning platform. This was seven years after he had become an Admin \u2013 but Trailhead was exactly what Lee wished he had had when he began his Salesforce career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere was nothing like it that existed when I started out,\u201d said Lee. When he joined Trailhead, he realized, \u201cIt was like having a personal tutor guiding me through a wide range of modules. A playground of free, hands-on learning and skills that you could just keep practicing until you figured it out.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ten years later, Lee is now a Triple Star Ranger and <a href=\"https:\/\/trailblazercommunitygroups.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Community Group Leader<\/a> with 300+ badges. \u201cTrailhead is a place I keep going back to learn \u2013 whether I need a refresher or a deeper dive into new concepts, like AI, or products.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Trailhead is a place I keep going back to learn \u2013 whether I need a refresher or a deeper dive into new concepts, like AI, or products.<\/p>\n<cite>Gordon Lee, Salesforce Admin<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Lee said what sets Trailhead apart from other online training platforms is the wide array of topics it offers \u2014 beyond just technical acumen, it champions the soft skills necessary for well-rounded professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, as Lee grew in his career and made the transition from an individual contributor to a manager, he turned to Trailhead \u2014 honing in on soft skills like public speaking, interpersonal communication, and managing others.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Salesforce and Trailhead have been invaluable to his career journey, he said. \u201cI\u2019ve been growing with Salesforce and it has been growing with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-community-driven-impact-nbsp\"><strong>A community-driven impact&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While Lee was forced to navigate his career largely on his own in those early days, he now has the <a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/en\/trailblazercommunity?_ga=2.49774434.553411055.1708362200-1215904705.1696347641\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trailblazer Community<\/a> \u2014 a global network of millions of Trailblazers who help each other learn new skills and thrive within the Salesforce ecosystem \u2014 to guide him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t overstate the impact of the Trailblazer community on my career journey,\u201d he said. \u201cI remember going to meetings and immediately finding a huge sense of community and camaraderie. All of us here are having shared experiences, learning together, and looking out for one another.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among Lee\u2019s proudest moments was the recognition he received from the Salesforce ecosystem \u2014 the <a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/mvp\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Salesforce MVP<\/a> award for his work co-leading the San Francisco Nonprofit User Group. Salesforce MVPs are community-nominated individuals recognized for their expertise, leadership, and generosity within the Trailblazer Community.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was validation of the hard work and dedication I&#8217;ve put into the community over the years,\u201d he shared. \u201cSalesforce User Groups are run by non-employees and made up of a community of volunteers. It\u2019s really a group of people who care about the product and want to gather to help others learn it.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And in the age of AI, opportunities within the Salesforce ecosystem <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/news\/stories\/idc-salesforce-economy-ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">are only growing<\/a>. The technology is reshaping how Salesforce professionals \u2014 across industries \u2014 approach tasks and data management.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAI opens up new possibilities, new frontiers to explore,\u201d said Lee. \u201cIt will help remove the mundane, repetitive tasks and low cognitive activities within my team, allowing them to dedicate their energy to high-level strategic projects they find fulfilling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>AI opens up new possibilities, new frontiers to explore. It will help remove the mundane, repetitive tasks and low cognitive activities within my team, allowing them to dedicate their energy to high-level strategic projects they find fulfilling.<\/p>\n<cite>Gordon Lee, salesforce admin<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-people-behind-the-tech\"><strong>The people behind the tech<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As Lee reflects on his journey with Trailhead over the last 10 years, one piece of advice resonates above the rest \u2014 prioritize people over technology.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo succeed, focus 90% on the people and 10% on the tech. At the end of the day, technology is just a tool, and tools are used by people \u2013 if you don\u2019t know how to deal with people, then you won&#8217;t be able to use the tool effectively,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the relationships we build that matter most.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-learn-more\"><strong>Learn more:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Access Trailhead\u2019s AI learning content <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/blog\/learn-ai-skills-on-trailhead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>View the 2023 IDC Salesforce Economy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/news\/stories\/ai-jobs-revenue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">white paper<\/a> to learn about the 11.6 million net new jobs the Salesforce ecosystem will create by 2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tune in to TrailblazerDX on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/plus\/?d=cta-body-promo-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Salesforce+<\/a> on March 6-7, 2024<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gordon Lee has spent the last two decades transforming his life and career in the Salesforce ecosystem.&nbsp; But that almost didn\u2019t happen.&nbsp; Unfulfilled in his role as a financial underwriter, in 2007, Lee saw an internal job post seeking a Salesforce Administrator. Despite his interest, self-doubt made Lee think the position was too technical for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":8773,"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":[1191],"sf_theme":[1115],"sf_topic":[1092,1169],"sf_product":[1107],"sf_industry":[],"sf_role":[],"sf_multimedia_asset":[],"sf_location":[1094],"sf_collection":[],"sf_visibility":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-8774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","sf_content_type-snapshot-other","sf_theme-digital-transformation","sf_topic-artificial-intelligence","sf_topic-trailblazerdx","sf_product-trailhead","sf_location-global"],"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;Growing up&#039; with Trailhead: An Early Trailblazer&#039;s Journey - 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\/gordon-lee-trailblazer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&#039;Growing up&#039; with Trailhead: An Early Trailblazer&#039;s Journey\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Gordon Lee has spent the last two decades transforming his life and career in the Salesforce ecosystem.&nbsp; But that almost didn\u2019t happen.&nbsp; Unfulfilled in his role as a financial underwriter, in 2007, Lee saw an internal job post seeking a Salesforce Administrator. 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