Things that Inspire Me: Del Santos

There’s no shortage of great professionals from interesting backgrounds in digital marketing agencies. The same goes for SOY, with a diverse team from different countries – Australia, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. This week we talk to Del, our Salesforce Developer, about what keeps inspiring him in his job.  

Hi Del, can you tell us about yourself – what you do at SOY, and how long you’ve been part of the team. 

I’ve been in IT for at least ten years, doing technical and business analysis, support and administration for international clients. I have been a data technician, application support, software engineer, IT application analyst, marketing data quality analyst, and now a Salesforce Developer for SOY since May 2020. A big part of my role as a Salesforce Developer is building solutions through effective tools within Salesforce to meet my clients’ business needs. 

How did you get into Salesforce development?  

Salesforce development has always been a part of what I do. My first stint into it was when I was a Senior Application Support for a telecommunication company here in the Philippines. Since then Salesforce development has been tethered to anything I do in the past decade, and now I’ve been enjoying being a Salesforce Administrator for SOY! 

What inspires you in your job as a Salesforce developer? 

I think what’s exciting about my job is that I get to work with one of the world’s leading technologies across all industries. What inspires me about is that it is a continually changing platform. It requires continuous learning to understand and administer, which makes it more challenging and interesting for me. And the fact that I get to help my clients grow their businesses by managing their CRM is quite exciting to me. 

How do you keep motivated in your role? 

As Salesforce in itself is a great inspiration to me, I try to keep updated with all the new developments and releases of Salesforce. You can say I have the same interest and investment in Salesforce the way people have for Apple and Samsung. Salesforce administration is so ingrained in me that it is also one of my great passions in my career. It feels great to be involved in such an exciting and innovative platform. 

What are some of your favourite projects you’ve done so far? 

Probably when I was able to develop my first webform. I like anything that has to do with integrations, and that’s one of Salesforce’s many strengths. Because it is able to connect with countless third-party applications, Salesforce becomes this very flexible ecosystem, and provides great help to its end users.  

How has Salesforce development made a big impact in your everyday life? 

I would say Salesforce has given me a rewarding and fulfilling career. It’s been listed as one of the top ten companies to work for in the past four years, and I see that in their product. The whole platform, what it can do, and its huge potential are of great interest to me, and I hope to still be doing what I do in the foreseeable future. 

When you’re not busy being a Salesforce Administrator, how do you entertain yourself? What kind of music or special interests are you into?  

I’m into rock music. I used to have a punk rock band when I was in college. I used to ride a skateboard and skate a lot when I was younger. So when I went to Monster skatepark in Sydney about a year ago, I got so excited! I’m also a motorcycle enthusiast. I used to have a motorcycle shop because I enjoy tinkering with bikes and talking to fellow enthusiasts as well.  

I know it seems like I was kind of a rebel in my younger years, but those things I’m still passionate about. As a family man now I’m focused on my career in Salesforce development and in building a great and happy family life. 

In my spare time, I like to watch movies related to outer space exploration, too. In fact I have an astronaut tattooed on my bicep.  

You seem like a creative type outside of your job! Are there any other creative things that you’re interested to explore in the future?  

I wouldn’t say it’s creative, but I hope to learn welding someday. I want to have a metal fabrication shop in the future!