If you’ve got a Salesforce problem, Kent Lee wants to solve it.
“I’m a very logical person,” he says. “I’m at home when I can sit down, focus, and solve problems. That’s really what I enjoy doing”
Fortunately for Kent, solving clients’ problems through Salesforce is what we do at DCS every day. He joined the company as a Salesforce Consultant in 2020 after several years working in Salesforce-focused roles at Accenture; Innovate, Inc., a smaller tech consulting firm; and George Mason University.
But Kent’s Salesforce experience predates those positions. His senior capstone project when he was a George Mason student involved setting up Salesforce instances pro bono for local nonprofit organizations. He quickly recognized how robust, vibrant, and inclusive the Salesforce community is.
“There are a lot of people on the consulting side of Salesforce that aren’t super technical, but they can learn it if they want to,” Kent says. “It’s not just for developers—there’s a lot of room for other people to grow.”
Finding His Place at DCS
After graduation, Kent joined Accenture. When they learned about his depth of experience in Salesforce, they assigned him to a team serving a project in the government space. After three years on that project, he moved to Innovate, Inc., then went back to George Mason, this time as a staff member. But he realized he was moving away from the more technical, problem-solving side of Salesforce—and he wasn’t growing in his skillset.
“I really wanted to learn, but at that point, it was a lot of self-learning for me,” Kent says. At Accenture and in his other roles, most of his colleagues were just starting out with Salesforce, too. “We were learning from each other, but there wasn’t anyone who could mentor or teach me.”
Then, a friend who worked at DCS talked to him about joining the firm. He told Kent about DCS’ work model, in which developers are assigned different projects but are themselves one team that meets every day. Kent liked what he heard.
“It showed me they had a great environment for learning,” he says. “Everyone was very skilled, so when I came in, I felt like I learned more here in one year than I had in the four or five years I’d worked elsewhere.”
Staying Ahead of the Salesforce Curve
Kent appreciates how DCS takes a proactive approach to keeping its staff current amid the constant waves of change in the Salesforce ecosystem. The development team, for example, hosts monthly lunch-and-learns and biweekly “Dev Retros,” where different members speak about their current work or an emerging Salesforce topic that they found interesting. With Salesforce quickly advancing its AI and automation functionalities, DCS’ team-focused approach to learning makes it easier for staff to understand the ins and outs of new features and products.
“Salesforce is always changing, but we have a very wide range of skills and a very talented development team,” Kent says. “I think we’re well-positioned to lead the charge on all the evolving things that Salesforce offers.”
DCS also supports Kent’s efforts to pursue advanced training through Salesforce. He’s currently pursuing application architect certifications that will not only enhance his ability to serve his clients, but also open doors to new career paths for him down the road.
“If you go on an architect route, you’re not building but coming up with the strategies and solutions, then handing them off to someone else to do it,” he says. “I am not sure where my career will go eventually, but earning the certifications gives me that option.”
Simplifying Salesforce, One Client At a Time
Kent applies his growing Salesforce skill set to develop solutions that meet each individual clients’ needs. He’s adept at simplifying even the most intricate Salesforce configurations, ensuring clients not only understand their instances but also feel empowered to use them effectively.
“Whenever I talk to clients, I’m able to walk through the problem, no matter how technical it can be, he says. “I try to help them understand it from different angles—yes, there are technical issues at hand, but we also need to consider their business needs and budget to get to the right solution.”
Kent’s recent projects include helping a client layer Salesforce on top of their existing sales system. His team set up both a user-facing site (into which people can enter securities transactions) and a complex, back-end system (which allows calculations to happen). In another project, Kent’s team helped a company complete a series of Salesforce integrations to streamline appointment scheduling and automate customer referrals.
When he’s serving his clients, Kent draws not only on his Salesforce acumen but also his early professional experience as an account lead for a medical device company. Admittedly an introvert, Kent quickly learned that a career in sales didn’t suit his personality. But he learned many lessons in that experience that he still relies on today—particularly when he has to deliver a less-than-rosy report to a client.
“Even though I may be telling you bad news, I want you to know I’m on your side and I want to help you,” he says.
Off the clock…
Kent appreciates DCS’ people-first approach to both client and employee relations. At DCS, he says, it’s clear that leaders and colleagues deeply value one another and understand the importance of work-life balance. That’s crucial for Kent, whose most important job title is “Dad” to his two sons, ages 4 and 1 ½. As a devoted Philadelphia sports fan living in Fairfax, Va., he and his wife take seriously the work of raising two young Eagles, Phillies, and Sixers fans in D.C. sports country.
When he’s got a few minutes to himself, Kent is usually engaged in self-described “nerdy things,” like watching Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Game of Thrones, or painting small models. And, of course, he’s always up for learning something new.
Overall:
Kent Lee is a wonderful example of the Dupont Circle Solutions team: We’re a community of talented and passionate Salesforce professionals who truly care about our clients and our communities. If you have Salesforce implementation challenges that you’re not sure how to solve, we’re here to help. Reach out to Dupont Circle Solutions today to talk about how we can tailor Salesforce to your company or organization’s specific needs.