I honestly didn't think I would be able to find the time to write this post. I spent most of the week trying to just think of a topic. And then I had a lightbulb moment when I realized that part of what made my week so crazy would make an excellent blog post. And we're off to the races once again...
I attended by first Dreamforce in 2007. A year later, I was being asked to present. And with each year, that responsibly has grown. A session here, two sessions there, five sessions here. I am so grateful to have the chance to share what I've learned, meet other presenters, and share ideas with other customers. I am truly honored each and every time that I'm asked. But I was lucky enough to watch my mentor go through the Dreamforce prep experience the year before I was asked, so I knew what was in store for me. I'm not sure others are quite so lucky.
Get to the point already, Becka!
Yes, sorry - moving on. My point is, that while an honor, presenting at Dreamforce is no walk in the park. There is all the pre-work: decks to be built and re-built, talk tracks to develop and tweak over several weeks, dry-runs with your co-presenters, and more dry-runs with the Dreamforce content team. And now with a Chatter record for every session, there is interacting with the attendees pre- and post- presenting. You also have to take in to account the time commitment of each session - arriving early and staying after to answer follow-up questions. On top of all that, this year, I was asked to present in the Developer track, where I am 100% responsible for my content. No safety net over there!
Don't let this scare you though! If I'm lucky enough to be asked next year (and the session is right), I won't hesitate to say yes. It's a great experience & I love doing it. But maybe I'll stick to one or two next time!
