Featured Fíontan: Daniel Ducharme
You have worked in the Salesforce ecosystem for nonprofits for over seven years. What is your biggest takeaway?
There are many takeaways, but if I had to pick the biggest one, I would summarize it like this: “The answer is always ‘Yes, we can do that.’ But the more important question is, ‘Should we do that?’”
Salesforce is such an amazing system. I like to say that it could put someone on the moon if needed. But to make an excellent tool for your client (internal or external), you need to consider the holistic product and ensure that you deliver something straightforward to maintain, simple for non-technical folks to use, and leverage the client’s industry-leading practices.
Tell us a bit about what you did before you joined Fíonta.
I have had a bunch of exciting jobs, like working on oil rigs in North Dakota, renovating a 100-year-old church, and driving a garbage truck around downtown Washington, DC. Before moving to Fíonta, I worked for an organization combating human trafficking worldwide. I led a small team supporting fundraising infrastructure, where I got lots of hands-on experience with the ins and outs of fundraising, project management, enterprise architecture, and Salesforce.
Share a bit about a project you’ve worked on at Fíonta that is meaningful to you and why.
I’m working on a project right now for AnitaB.org. It wasn’t an organization I was familiar with before researching them as a client, but their work and mission have impressed me. I love helping people with great passion and vision leverage tools to do it more effectively. AnitaB’s mission to bring the often marginalized to the table is something that I love.
How do you see your role at Fíonta evolving over the next year and beyond?
I come from a non-consulting background. We would always worry about whether the consultants we worked with would deliver something we could use. We would be excited to present to our end users within our minimal budgets. I want to spend the next year digging into all the technical capabilities of Salesforce and rounding out my technical chops. I also want to demonstrate to clients that I can take them from project inception through go live. I want to demonstrate the technical and leadership skills to take on large projects and ensure they deliver value to our clients.
What does a typical day as a Senior Salesforce Consultant look like?
It can depend on the day. Days early in the week are focused on coordinating, ensuring that stories are ready to be worked on and that we are getting what we need from the client to be able to do all the work we have planned for the week. Later in the week, I am focused on building within the system and ensuring that my work is of the highest quality.
Which of Fíonta’s core value(s) strikes closest to home for you? Why?
For me, it’s “Assume Positive Intent”. I think it’s doubly important in remote work culture now that more and more of our communication is via email or chat. When deadlines are tight, pressure is on; it takes some discipline, but it’s important to assume that everyone you work with is trying their best.
What are your favorite things to do when you aren’t working? Hobbies, activities, passions?
I find fun things to do with my family when I’m not working. Lately, we checked out a VR headset from the library. My two boys are blown away seeing dinosaurs and roller coasters. If it’s the weekend, they really love swimming! I enjoy playing video games or running if it’s something I’m doing alone or with friends.
Isaac Asimov or H.G. Wells?
Walter M. Miller, Jr.’s Canticle for Leibowitz
Summer or winter?
Winter
New build homes or old build?
Old build, definitely. Fun to renovate and has great architecture.
Running or cycling?
Running is cheaper, but you see more of your world on a bike.
Favorite nut butter?
Crunchy Peanut Butter. I’ve been overruled by my family on that one, though.