"Business Is Problems and Overcoming Obstacles."

I started my final week at Salesforce with a bang. Interviewing board member and former CEO of PeopleSoft, Craig Conway was nothing short of amazing. His sophisticated sentiments, eloquent answers, and well-told stories made this interview not only fun but also very valuable. I particularly appreciated his take on business: "Business is problems and overcoming obstacles. And if you approach those as annoying, you're not going to be as happy and you're not going to go as far. If you view you career as an opportunity to overcome and achieve things with a sense of excitement, you'll be more successful." Following this interview was yet another with Kurt Hagen, CFO of Salesforce's foundation. He was nothing short of composed and thoughtful. I liked that he took a different stance on taking opportunities: "It's ok to take a pass at something you don't think is the right opportunity." Unlike many of the people I have interviewed, he focused on the value of individual opportunities not the breadth, span, or amount of them. To finish the day, I met with John Somorjai, Earned Value Professional of corporate development and Salesforce ventures. I loved his M&A perspective of the company; his expertise outside of the world of finance was refreshing and new. I liked how he emphasized the importance of prioritizing, especially regarding email: "Step back and ask what the most important thing to accomplish is for the day and let that drive how you work versus letting email rule your work day." It is so easy to get caught in an inbox brimming with to-dos and urgent-response-neededs, something I can attest to during my time here. But it is clear that to step back and define, evaluate, and then act upon the importance of tasks is critical if you are ever going to be successful here.