Did you miss #AdminHour: Let's Learn Salesforce Charts! on September 8, 2016? Well, fear not, friends, you can catch the full replay right here. Why would you want to do that? Well, because, it turns out, not many people I've surveyed (about 50 folks who are learning Salesforce since May of 2016) have a lot of experience with Salesforce charts. But data visualization can transform your organization. That's right. I said it. Well, actually, Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, author of the amazing book Storytelling with Data, and speaker at the Nonprofit CRM Summit, said it, but she's right. So join us as we get (or rather, got) hands on with this critical skill!

Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to let you know that #AdminHour is changing a bit to serve you better. That's right, it turns out it's a bit challenging for us all to get hands on in Salesforce without the ability to get hands on in Salesforce via screen sharing. So for now we're experimenting with a great, fun, highly interactive webinar format where we (presenters) can still appear on camera for that oh-so-personal touch, and you can still interact live via chat. The format is the same: follow along during the hour to enhance your Salesforce skills in your own Salesforce organization - none of that watch and learn, implement later stuff! So please, tell your friends.

As a matter of fact, why don't you join us next time? Details can always be found here. The next #AdminHour: Let's Get Ready for Dreamforce! is Wednesday, September 21, 2016 at 5:00pm PT/8:00pm ET, and it will be a fun, interactive way to meet people, get your questions answered, and get tips and suggestions from Dreamforce veterans, locals, and new attendees alike - all are welcome! Register here right now!

As you may have heard, the #DF16 agenda builder (in English: the 2016 Dreamforce session registration tool) goes live on Wednesday, September 7, 2016 (as of this writing the exact time of day has not been announced). 

But don't worry! With a few simple tools and strategies you can be ready to take advantage of all that Dreamforce has to offer:

1. Watch the Road to Dreamforce '16 right here.  It's live every Tuesday before Dreamforce from 11:00am PT to 11:30am PT, but the recordings are always available. Many people tweet tips using the #RoadtoDF16 hashtag or you can ask your own questions to get them answered.

2. Bookmark sessions in advance so you can narrow down the list of 1,900+ sessions when it's time to register on September 7, 2016.

3. Review this PDF of how the agenda builder works. Special thanks to Heidi Hopkins for posting it!

4. Take a deep breath. Not all the locations, times, and even sessions are posted yet. I try to follow two rules: 
a. Hands on Training sessions fill up first, fast, and will be for sale after Dreamforce. That's right, they're recorded, but after Dreamforce in 2015 I was only able to access the recordings by paying a minimum of $99 to access them!
b. Not all sessions are recorded. For nonprofits, there's the Community Cascade day which won't be on the agenda for another week, and my Developer Zone theater sessions were not recorded at Dreamforce 2014 or 2015. Also, roadmap sessions and many others are not recorded for various reasons, so be sure you understand exactly what sessions to attend. Don't know for sure? Ask in the session chatter feed, the all Dreamforce chatter group, or your best option: @ mention the speakers on Twitter so they can confirm (although they may not always know). 

5. Advanced tip: Use this **unofficial** agenda builder app (thank you Deepak Anand of Dazeworks!) in a developer org to help you get organized! 

What are your best tips and suggestions to keep calm while you're planning your agenda? Let me know in the comments!

Want to learn Salesforce without needing to stress? Looking to learn reports and dashboards, adoption strategies, configuration techniques, and data cleanliness that works for you in a relaxed hands on nonprofit training environment with less than 10 people? Join Longshore Consulting for pre-Dreamforce *in your instance* live, in person training in the Bay Area on October 3, 2016. Here's all you need to know! Note registration closes on Thursday, September 15, 2016!

The start of September can only mean one thing... the start of the Fall conference season! 

If you're anything like me, shopping for comfortable conference-appropriate attire is not at the top of your list of fun and exciting things. Add that to the fact that I work with nonprofit organizations and live in the Bay Area, and the thought of parting with my cash for designer duds can make shopping feel like a daunting task. 

​Enter: ThredUp! 

ThredUp is a web site and app of super gently worn designer and all around high quality clothes for women and kids. They also have maternity wear, along with handbags and shoes. 

Why am I telling you about this? Because I am really glad my priest told me about ThredUp when I posted on facebook last year in need of affordable conference clothes for Dreamforce (seriously, she's awesome). 

Also, they have one of those referral code offers, where if you use the link I provide you, you'll get $10 off your order, and I'll get $10 off. So, I hope this info is helpful to you and we can both benefit!

Use this link to get $10 off.

Enjoy! 

And yes, these are actual photos of me wearing what I got at ThredUp at conferences last year. I got Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, and other awesome stuff for unbelievable prices. NOTE: shipping can take a long time, so order well in advance of your event.

Want to learn Salesforce without needing to dress up? Looking to learn reports and dashboards, adoption strategies, configuration techniques, and data cleanliness that works for you in a relaxed hands on nonprofit training environment with less than 10 people? Join Longshore Consulting for pre-Dreamforce *in your instance* live, in person training in the Bay Area on October 3, 2016. Here's all you need to know! Note registration closes on Thursday, September 15, 2016!

1. Trailhead will be EVERYWHERE at Dreamforce. Seriously. There will be new trails and quests, opportunities to win swag like a Trailblazer hoodie sweatshirt and Astro dolls of various sizes, and if you've never logged in to Trailhead you'll be farther away from cuddling up to the Cloudy of your dreams. Plus, after this blog post, Trailhead is the best way to prep for Dreamforce (of course!).
2. Every session will be linked to a Trailhead module. This is true. Log in to sessions you plan to attend and you'll soon see a link to the relevant Trailhead trail. Be prepared by earning badges now so you can stay up to date with fast paced sessions!
3. If you're not using Lightning, you'll be confused at Dreamforce. While not every HOT (Hands on Training) will be taught in Lightning, *definitely* be sure to check the description for sessions that are "in Lightning" so you can be prepared. And if TrailheaDX is any indication, all presentations and demos from the main stage and keynotes will be in Lightning. Use Trailhead to get you caught up to speed and comfortable with Lightning if you haven't made the switch over from Classic yet.
4. Avoid on site overwhelm. There's so much that will be happening at Dreamforce, Trailhead is a great way to get mentally caught up before you arrive so you'll have room in your brain to take in the news about all of the exciting new things that are coming up in the Salesforce universe. After all, Salesforce consistently ranks as one of Forbes' most innovative companies in the world. With the announcement of Salesforce Einstein and Salesforce's many recent acquisitions, you never know what Marc Benioff and the team are up to next! Some Trailhead badge suggestions are: 

• The Summer '16 Release Badge
• Lightning Experience Features
• Business Value of Equality

5. You're competitive and you need a deadline. That's right, join a completely unofficial, friendly group of Women in Tech, Women in Tech Diversity, and Girlforce members, along with friends and allies of these groups, in earning as many badges as possible by Dreamforce! Set your goal for how many badges you'd like to earn here: http://bit.ly/trailheadbydf16 - then see how you stack up and get to work earning those badges!

Couldn't get in to Dreamforce (yup, it's sold out)? Looking to learn more in a relaxed hands on nonprofit training environment with less than 10 people? Join Longshore Consulting for pre-Dreamforce *in your instance* live, in person training in the Bay Area on October 3, 2016. Here's all you need to know!

Dreamforce is coming! If you're a nonprofit looking to maximize your Dreamforce investment, it's best to plan ahead so you can make sure you'll be able to apply the lessons you'll learn all year. Big changes are coming to #DF16, so let's go over them:

1. The campus will be significantly different. Get to know the new layout of where things are and be sure to plan extra travel time between those Hands On Training sessions in the Hilton, the Salesforce.org Zone (which is farther away this year in the Westin St. Francis Union Square), and sessions on other parts of the campus.

2. Marc Benioff's keynote will be in a much smaller room (Moscone North Hall D, about one half the size of the previous keynote space). That means if you want to be physically in the room (which I highly recommend doing at least once), I suggest lining up at least one hour in advance of the keynote start time (currently scheduled for 1:00pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2016). 

3. Trailhead, Trailhead, Trailhead! Trailhead will be the major theme again in the Developer and Admin Zones. I know this isn't a surprise, but remember you can do Trailhead at home for free, so catch up now so you don't feel overwhelmed when you arrive in San Francisco. One great way to get started is the Get Ready for Dreamforce badge here.

4. One expo to rule them all: There's only ONE cloud expo this year. This is great so you don't need to walk between Moscone West and Moscone South, but it may mean you want to plan accordingly to make the most of your visit.

5. The U2 concert is far away! The Cloud Palace, aka the Cow Palace, is not in San Francisco, it's in Daly City and is almost 20 minutes south of San Francisco (driving with no traffic) and is not BART (subway) accessible. While I'm sure there will be shuttles and so forth, be sure you plan accordingly! (The road to DF16 also mentioned that the majority of us will be watching the concert from outside since the venue only seats 12,000 people, so bring many layers of clothing and, as always, extremely comfortable shoes).

6. UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Remember that Moscone is under construction! This means less sessions but the same amount of people (or maybe more people). Be sure you register in advance as soon as agenda builder goes live at the end of August, arrive early to sessions to claim your spot, and plan extra travel time for the larger campus (especially if you're going to nonprofit sessions). I know this is the same advice you hear every year if you're a Dreamforce veteran, but due to this year's construction, fewer sessions, less rooms, and more people, I recommend taking this advice seriously, especially if there's a session you really want to get into on Tuesday or Wednesday (there's a lot more wiggle room on Friday and Thursday after the concert).

Want more? Longshore Consulting is offering a small group (3 to 10 people) Salesforce training for nonprofits and foundations on Monday, October 3, 2016 - the day before Dreamforce, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Included in the session will be a 20 minute review of your Dreamforce agenda. The training will focus on charts and dashboards, data cleanliness, and user adoption. What's unique about Longshore Consulting trainings is that the entire time you will be in your organization's Salesforce instance, immediately applying what you're learning. To indicate your interest, get more information, or ask questions, fill out this form.